THE English-language version of Al-Jazeera's news channel has begun after a year-long delay, Agence France-Presse has reported.
Al-Jazeera English began broadcasting from the network's studios in Doha, Qatar, on November 15, with 12 hours of live programming.
Big name Western journalists have been recruited by the channel, such as former BBC broadcaster David Frost. He will present a current affairs programme called "Frost over the World".
"(It) is a new force in the global English-speaking media with the ability to seek out and cover different perspectives of news," the network said in a statement.
"Launching the English channel offers the chance to reach out to a new audience that is used to hearing the name Al-Jazeera without being able to watch it or to understand its language," said network general director Wadah Khanfar.
But for Jihad Balout, a former Al-Jazeera spokesman, the English channel has by nature "broken the monopoly of big channels which continue to be American, British or French."
A French international news channel, France 24, is expected to start broadcasting on the Internet in French and English on December 6. The channel will be "seeing the world through a filter other than that of CNN, BBC World and Al Jazeera," a France 24 press kit was reported as saying.
To better compete with its Anglo-Saxon rivals, France 24 is embracing English as well as its mother tongue. There are also plans for an Arabic version in 2007.
"Broadcast in English most of the time, but with a French bias to me, that sounds a bit confused," said Charlie Beckett, a former producer at BBC.
Waddick Doyle, an associate professor at American University of Paris, though, applauded France 24's decision to go bilingual. Although French once was the language of the elite in many post-colonial countries, English is now that cadre's language of choice, he explained. "They used to watch French news and listen to French radio. But the new generation of elite speaks English. Despite that migration (to English), however, they have an attachment to French values."
CNN was unfazed by the new competition however. "There are almost 100 news channels around the world and Al Jazeera English and France 24 will soon be added to the list," spokesman Nigel Pritchard said. "Most operators tend to benchmark themselves after CNN and after 26 years on air, we are happy with that."
