luh_windan
07-16-2004, 08:15 AM
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1089894102595_32/?hub=CTVNewsAt11
Canadians will soon be able to watch Al-Jazeera television after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission conditionally approved it for distribution in Canada.
The Al-Jazeera application was filed by the Canadian Cable Television Association in spring 2003, and includes numerous other "ethnic services" from around the world. Each of the elements was decided independently.
The application to offer the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera through Canada's direct-to-home satellite networks was contested by various Jewish groups, which said the network disseminates "anti-Semitic hate speech."
Al-Jazeera is often referred to as the "CNN of the Arab world" and is often the first to broadcast messages and videotaped statements from militants in Iraq and belonging to al Qaeda.
For people like Iraqi nuclear scientist Imad Khudduri, it is essential to the Arab world. He dismissed talk it was too graphic, saying, "Every night I switch on channels, American channels, I see much more violence than those beheadings."
He was referring to video of people like American hostage Nicholas Berg. He was beheaded by the Iraqi militants who captured him -- video partially shown by al-Jazeera, although it first appeared on an Islamic militant website that has since been shut down.
Inciteful opinion
For Ed Morgan of the Canadian Jewish Congress, al-Jazeera's opinion programming is even more troublesome than its news.
"They were airing a popular talk show host who came up with the view that Sept. 11th was a Jewish conspiracy and the only way to prevent further bombings is to rid the world of all the Jews," he said.
Commission chairman Charles Dalfen agrees that the network had made remarks that held Jews up to hatred and contempt. But he said Al-Jazeera had met the test of being a credible news service, and the commission had a legal duty not to unduly infringe freedom of expression.
"On balance we felt the public interest in taking the risk outweighed the public interest in banning it outright," Dalfen said.
In its ruling issued Thursday, the CRTC said distributors of Al-Jazeera in Canada will be required to guard against the broadcast of "any abusive comment." That could mean the editing or deleting of some content before it airs.
"We're not going to take that liability to censor. It's not practical. For all practical purposes, that decision is as good as saying no to al-Jazeera," said Michael Hennessy of the Canadian Cable Television Association, which fought to bring the station to Canada.
If the CRTC ever decides that Al-Jazeera violated its rules, the regulator could impose consequences ranging from a reprimand to revoking permission to air the service.
Rogers Cable, a major player in Canada, has said 24/7 monitoring is too strict, and it's unlikely they'll carry the channel.
Al-Jazeera recently unveiled its code of ethics, vowing to "uphold journalistic values" and to be sensitive to the victims of the wars and disasters it covers, their families and viewers.
"I would like to know what the definition of hateful incitement is or whatever term is used. Monitoring is okay. You know we have no problem monitoring," Jihad Ali-Ballout, an al-Jazeera spokesman, told CTV News.
While the Canadian Jewish Congress could live with the restrictions on al-Jazeera, B'Nai Brith thought al-Jazeera should not have been let in.
"We feel the Pandora's box has been opened with this decision. It's ironic that the week they closed down a radio station in Montreal, they're allowing al-Jazeera into this country with its record of hate," said Frank Dimant of B'Nai Brith.
Just this week, a Quebec City radio station, CHOI-FM, was told its licence would not be renewed after it ignored warnings about comments made by its on-air personalities.
RAI rejected
In all, the CRTC approved nine new non-Canadian, third-language networks -- including ones featuring Spanish, German and Romanian programming. Six were denied.
Among the applications rejected by the CRTC Thursday was Italy's RAI International -- despite the support of more than 100,000 Canadians who signed petitions.
But the application faced opposition from Toronto-based Telelatino, which already broadcasts about 50 hours per week of programming from RAI.
"What it tells us it's okay for BBC to broadcast because that apparently doesn't compete with CBC, but we can't have RAI International because it would compete with Telelatino, so we just don't understand," one Italian told Montreal's CFCF News.
Canadians will soon be able to watch Al-Jazeera television after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission conditionally approved it for distribution in Canada.
The Al-Jazeera application was filed by the Canadian Cable Television Association in spring 2003, and includes numerous other "ethnic services" from around the world. Each of the elements was decided independently.
The application to offer the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera through Canada's direct-to-home satellite networks was contested by various Jewish groups, which said the network disseminates "anti-Semitic hate speech."
Al-Jazeera is often referred to as the "CNN of the Arab world" and is often the first to broadcast messages and videotaped statements from militants in Iraq and belonging to al Qaeda.
For people like Iraqi nuclear scientist Imad Khudduri, it is essential to the Arab world. He dismissed talk it was too graphic, saying, "Every night I switch on channels, American channels, I see much more violence than those beheadings."
He was referring to video of people like American hostage Nicholas Berg. He was beheaded by the Iraqi militants who captured him -- video partially shown by al-Jazeera, although it first appeared on an Islamic militant website that has since been shut down.
Inciteful opinion
For Ed Morgan of the Canadian Jewish Congress, al-Jazeera's opinion programming is even more troublesome than its news.
"They were airing a popular talk show host who came up with the view that Sept. 11th was a Jewish conspiracy and the only way to prevent further bombings is to rid the world of all the Jews," he said.
Commission chairman Charles Dalfen agrees that the network had made remarks that held Jews up to hatred and contempt. But he said Al-Jazeera had met the test of being a credible news service, and the commission had a legal duty not to unduly infringe freedom of expression.
"On balance we felt the public interest in taking the risk outweighed the public interest in banning it outright," Dalfen said.
In its ruling issued Thursday, the CRTC said distributors of Al-Jazeera in Canada will be required to guard against the broadcast of "any abusive comment." That could mean the editing or deleting of some content before it airs.
"We're not going to take that liability to censor. It's not practical. For all practical purposes, that decision is as good as saying no to al-Jazeera," said Michael Hennessy of the Canadian Cable Television Association, which fought to bring the station to Canada.
If the CRTC ever decides that Al-Jazeera violated its rules, the regulator could impose consequences ranging from a reprimand to revoking permission to air the service.
Rogers Cable, a major player in Canada, has said 24/7 monitoring is too strict, and it's unlikely they'll carry the channel.
Al-Jazeera recently unveiled its code of ethics, vowing to "uphold journalistic values" and to be sensitive to the victims of the wars and disasters it covers, their families and viewers.
"I would like to know what the definition of hateful incitement is or whatever term is used. Monitoring is okay. You know we have no problem monitoring," Jihad Ali-Ballout, an al-Jazeera spokesman, told CTV News.
While the Canadian Jewish Congress could live with the restrictions on al-Jazeera, B'Nai Brith thought al-Jazeera should not have been let in.
"We feel the Pandora's box has been opened with this decision. It's ironic that the week they closed down a radio station in Montreal, they're allowing al-Jazeera into this country with its record of hate," said Frank Dimant of B'Nai Brith.
Just this week, a Quebec City radio station, CHOI-FM, was told its licence would not be renewed after it ignored warnings about comments made by its on-air personalities.
RAI rejected
In all, the CRTC approved nine new non-Canadian, third-language networks -- including ones featuring Spanish, German and Romanian programming. Six were denied.
Among the applications rejected by the CRTC Thursday was Italy's RAI International -- despite the support of more than 100,000 Canadians who signed petitions.
But the application faced opposition from Toronto-based Telelatino, which already broadcasts about 50 hours per week of programming from RAI.
"What it tells us it's okay for BBC to broadcast because that apparently doesn't compete with CBC, but we can't have RAI International because it would compete with Telelatino, so we just don't understand," one Italian told Montreal's CFCF News.