Broadcast giants snub al-Jazeera English network

America’s major satellite and cable giants have snubbed Al-Jazeera’s English-language network, which begins today.

The news network, based in Doha, Qatar, which has drawn the ire of the US government and other western powers over its broadcasts of al-Qaida statements and its coverage of the Iraq war, said it would be available to computer users via a broadband internet connection.

Despite months of trying and delays in its launch date, it named only four companies available in the US that would offer it.

The network also appeared to have changed its name. Formerly Al-Jazeera International, it was referred to as Al-Jazeera English throughout a news release issued yesterday. Company representatives did not immediately return calls for comment.

Talks broke down between Al-Jazeera and one major cable company, Comcast, Variety reported on Monday.

Al-Jazeera English will be available to customers of GlobeCast, the subsidiary of a French company that offers satellite TV service costing around €244 to install.

The other companies Al-Jazeera English said it had agreements with were Fision, a digital service that would be available shortly in Houston, Texas; Jump TV, which describes itself as “the world’s leading broadcaster of ethnic TV over the internet”; and VDC, a service that offers TV on the internet to about 10,000 customers in the US.

Elsewhere around the globe, Al-Jazeera English said the picture was brighter. The network said it would be available via cable or satellite in more than 80 million homes, or double its launch target of 40 million.