[Reader-list] India TV, Al-Jazeera agree on barter of news content

[Shivam]

India TV, Al-Jazeera agree on barter of news content 
  
Indiantelevision.com Team 
(2 September 2004 5:00 pm) 
http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k4/sep/sep17.htm
   
NEW DELHI: Confirming a report filed by indiantelevision.com
yesterday, Arabian satellite news channel Al-Jazeera this afternoon
announced an alliance with Rajat Sharma's India TV that would involve
an "exchange" of content.
  
According to the agreement reached between the two news channels,
which would not involve any financial dealings, Al-Jazeera's prime
time news bulletin dubbed into Hindi would air daily on India TV.
India TV hopes that Al-Jazeera would do the same.
  
"We have tied up with India TV as we believe that like our network, it
(India TV) also believes in putting journalistic considerations before
commercial interests," Al-Jazeera MD Wadah Khanfar said during a press
briefing here today after exchanging signed documents with India TV
chairman Rajat Sharma.

The agreement will also include exchange of real-time news updates
from the respective regions and the telecast of the Al-Jazeera
bulletins will begin from 3 September at 11 pm on India TV.

Pointing out that the tie-up with India TV is part of Al-Jazeera's
plans to make forays into new marketplaces, Khanfar said the agreement
with India TV is independent of any other expansion plans the Arab
network may be having for India.

The Qatar-based channel came into the limelight through its coverage
of the first two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq which offered an Arab
perspective on the conflicts and broke the virtual monopoly Western
news media had up till that time over reportage from the region. No
wonder, the promotional clips aired by Al-Jazeera at today's press
conference has several instances of US military bosses and US defence
secretary Donald Rumsfeld saying `dump the channel' or `change the
channel' to questions on Al-Jazeera's coverage during the Iraq was.

"Al-Jazeera has provided Arab audiences with a much needed platform
for interaction and debate, something that was quite unfamiliar in
this part of the world. India holds an important audience base for us
and this agreement will enable us to provide India with news about the
Arab world and vice versa. We have a mandate of extending and
enhancing professional relationships with international media. By
signing this agreement with India TV, both news channels will be able
to provide a more comprehensive image of the sub-continent to our
viewers," Khanfar further explained.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, a beaming Sharma said, "India TV
endeavours to provide viewers with a complete picture of news as it
occurs in the world. There has been a dearth of composite and
immediate news reporting of events in the Arabic world."

Pointing out that for the past one month Al-Jazeera signals were being
test-received at India TV's studios on the outskirts of Delhi, Sharma
added, "By signing this agreement, alongside providing in-depth and
composite
international news to our viewers, India TV will also provide an
additional picture of events and current affairs in the Arab world to
viewers in India."

Asked by indiantelevision.com whether India TV is looking at other
similar tie-ups, Sharma answered in the affirmative. "We are looking
at some tie-ups in South India and also in the Western world," he
added.

As an aside, yesterday when CNN International's Chris Cramer, also in
India, was asked about the Indian foray of Al-Jazeera --- often termed
the 'CNN of the Arabic world' --- he had said that CNN finds it
flattering that comparisons were made between the two networks and
"competition is always welcome."