This story has been updated.
Al Jazeera America, the stateside arm of the Qatar-based broadcaster, is shuttering after less than three years, officials announced at an all staff meeting on Wednesday.
In a memo to staff obtained by The New York Times, Al Anstey, Al Jazeera America’s chief executive, said the board’s decision “is driven by the fact that our business model is simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges in the U.S. media marketplace.”
““The decision that has been made is in no way because AJAM has done anything but a great job. Our commitment to great journalism is unrivaled,” Anstey wrote.
As many as 700 staffers will lose their jobs, sources at the company told CNN.
The American outpost for the Arabic-language channel was feted at its August 2013 debut, when the network’s founders pledged to counter the din of cable news with in-depth reporting and smart commentary.
But the network failed to gain traction in the American market, with its prime time broadcasts reaching only 20,000 to 40,000 viewers on a daily basis, according to CNN.
Al Jazeera was also racked by internal dysfunction and what one former senior executive called a “culture of fear.” Two ex-employees sued the company in 2015, accusing high-ranking staffers of anti-Semitism and sexism.
The network launched after Al Jazeera’s parent company bought Current TV, the struggling outlet founded by Al Gore in 2005, for $500 million in 2013 in a bid to enter the U.S. market.
The channel will shut down operations on April 30, but Al Jazeera still plans to “bring new digital content into America” in the digital realm, Anstey said at the announcement.
The network published an explosive and highly publicized report that Broncos quarterback Payton Manning used performance-enhancing drugs in late December. Manning strenuously denied the accusations.
Osama Saeed Bhutter, head of communications for Al Jazeera, said on Twitter he was “devastated” by the news.
Devastated for the 700 at @AJAM losing their jobs. They took a punt only 2 yrs ago to create something special so it’s sad it’s come to this
— Osama Saeed Bhutta (@OsamaSaeed) January 13, 2016
I am surprised by this. Any fool would know that their establishing an audience in the US would take years of investment. If they weren’t in it for the long haul with a business plan that allowed several years of lossing money why did they even begin?
It makes no sense at all.
Probably a different name might have helped.
Al Jazeera has been my preferred cable news channel for about a year now. It reminded me of CNN of about 25 years ago. Just news. Less opinion. Some long form news stories. I liked it a lot. Tried to get others to watch. Those who did liked it also. Not sure what I’ll watch now.
I wonder if it is another victim of the low oil prices. Qatar may not have the cash.
I’ve watched Al Jazeera and liked it. Much more straight news, international and long form stories than CNN, MSNBC and Fox. To me they were the only real news network on cable.
But they had the worst branding ever. I’m sure many people could never get beyond the name and the calligraphy logo. Many Americans couldn’t tell you the difference between Al Jazeera and Al Qaeda. When I told people that I thought it was a good source for news they reacted as if I got my information straight from ISIS.