Al-Jazeera English one step closer to broadcasting in Canada
Last Updated: Thursday, May 7, 2009 | 2:26 PM ET
The Canadian Press
The public has roughly one month to tell the federal broadcast regulator what it thinks about a proposal to allow Al-Jazeera English to broadcast in Canada.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is considering an application to grant the all-news channel space on the digital airwaves.
Managing director Tony Burman has said he wants the channel, based in Doha, Qatar, to be available in Canada by fall.
Part of the review process includes a call for comments, in which Canadians can submit their opinions to the CRTC through its website, by mail or by fax. Comments must be received by June 8.
Al-Jazeera English operates separately from its Arabic-language sister channel, which has been criticized in the West for its ease of access to al-Qaeda.
While coverage on the Arabic version is focused primarily on the Middle East, the English channel also includes coverage of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
