What about a replacement for Al Jazeera America News after April 14
TimeVoyager
Enthusiast - Level 3

    I realize that the loss of Al Jazeera America coming up on April 14 is not Verizon's fault. It was an AJA decision. It's a shame because we found their news to be the most balanced, objective, and informative of all major news operations. Their documentaries and world news were comprehensive, interesting, and informative. Their science shows are really well done. They report the news objectively without the anchors needing to inject biased personal opinions and they don't compete as cults of personality. That is how I was taught at Penn State University's School of Journalism. At AJA, they don't bother to interview people with ridiculous and extremist opinions the way that CNN and Fox does to sensationalize the news and gain viewers. CNN does a pretty good job most of the time, but they get obsessed and focused too much on one narrow topic to the neglect of the rest of the world. During this presidential year, while I follow the races, it becomes ad nauseum and I want to know what's going on in many other topics of the news. Fox is so reprehensible, biased, and ridiculous at times, that I have stopped watching them completely. However, I would never suggest taking away programming from others inclined to watch it. 

I'm a writer and work at home, so I have the opportunity to turn on the TV any time I want and compare news offerings. The loss of AJA is going to leave a black hole in news. I know you're going to suggest I watch a network such as BBC. That wouldn't be so bad, except BBC is not available to my middie tier of programming. It would cost me an additional $240 a year to upgrade to the next tier. Just to watch one network? No, thank you, I'm already maxed out with a high enough FIOS bill. 

So please, Verizon. Find us a replacement for AJA. If not BBC, then something. 

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Re: What about a replacement for Al Jazeera America News after April 14
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

Even if they find a new content provider, they may not offer it in your tier.

Content providers have stipulations in their contracts for carriage.

They include price per subscriber and tiers.

So it could be that AJA was cheap enough for Verizon to offer to all tiers but BBC wants more than Verizon feels they will make from the customers in the middle tiers.

Same could be true for the next provider they get.

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Re: What about a replacement for Al Jazeera America News after April 14
tns2
Community Leader
Community Leader

It was widely assumed that AJA was actually paying most of the cost to be on various cable, telephone TV services. 

Although they don't claim it, I suspect lower oil prices have reduced the funding for AJA.  Doesn't help that lots of people never wanted to watch AJA, despite their having excellent news coverage.

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