MUMBAI: After three years of financial struggles, Al Jazeera America (AJAM) will down the shutters on its cable TV and digital operations by 30 April, 2016.
The decision by the AJAM board was driven by the fact that its business model was simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges in the US media marketplace.
The closure of the US channel will be accompanied by an expansion of its existing worldwide digital services into the US to broaden its multi-platform presence.
The expanded digital platform will augment the Network’s current digital offerings, including AJ+, which has achieved more than two billion online video views since its inception in September 2014.
“As audiences increasingly turn to multiple platforms, including mobile devices, for news and information, this expansion will allow US and non-US consumers alike to access the network’s journalism and content wherever and whenever they want. By expanding its digital content and distribution services to now include the US, the network will be better positioned to innovate and compete in an overwhelmingly digital world to serve today’s 24-hour digitally focused audience,” the Al Jazeera Media Network said in a statement.
Al Jazeera America CEO Al Anstey said, “I have witnessed and worked alongside some of the most talented people any organisation could wish for. Since its launch in 2013, the work done by the team at Al Jazeera America has been recognised with nearly every major award an American news organisation can receive. I greatly respect the unrivalled commitment and excellent work of our team, which has created great journalism. We have increasingly set ourselves apart from all the rest, and the achievements of the past two-and-a-half years should be a source of immense pride for everyone.”
