Al-Jazeera

Al-Jazeera ("The [Arabian] Peninsula" in Arabic, more accurately transliterated as "Al Jazira") is a commercial television news provider specializing in the Arab world. It is based in Doha, Qatar, with the Qatari royal family as the dominant shareholder; although operating autonomously, the channel usually refrains from criticism of its host state. Broadcasting in Arabic commenced in 1996, and in English in 2006.

Just as CNN introduced a new business model of 24-hour news, al-Jazeera has focused on a new business model of becoming a dominant, non-Western news provider specializing in a region. It has become the leading provider of Arabic-language news, but is also the dominant provider of English-language news in its region through its sister channel, Al-Jazeera English. Despite some initial hostility (mostly from the US) Al-Jazeera English is increasingly being accepted as a global player, reaching (and arguably even exceeding) the standards of established broadcasters such as the BBC and CNN. Almost without exception, Al-Jazeera is disliked by Arab governments and frequently has been banned from operating (inter alia, in Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq) for limited periods of time.

Al-Jazeera English features a number of presenters formerly seen on BBC World News, among them Anita McNaught, Barnaby Phillips, Veronica Pedrosa, Stephen Cole, Rageh Omaar, Jacky Rowland and weatherman Everton Fox.

Al-Jazeera has released content under a Creative Commons license.