Free Speech TV to Broadcast Breaking Al Jazeera English Coverage of Middle East and Japan

FSTV pre-empts regular programming to bring AJE's live reporting to 35 million U.S. homes

DENVER, March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  To provide timely reporting on the ongoing military intervention in Libya and the increasingly violent unrest throughout the region, Free Speech TV is pre-empting much of its regular programming to air live coverage from Al Jazeera English.

"With Americans eager to hear President Obama address the nation tonight about the escalating military situation in Libya, Free Speech TV is pleased to offer the in-depth reporting required for a well-rounded assessment of the region and of the role of the United States," explained Free Speech TV Executive Director Don Rojas.

"We are proud to be partnering again with Al Jazeera English, whose exemplary journalism has earned widespread critical acclaim — from FSTV viewers up to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who recently praised the network for providing 'real news,'" Rojas continued.

Until further notice, Free Speech TV is pre-empting its regular programming for 13 1/2 hours each day to air Al Jazeera English's live news feeds. Complementing these feeds will be Free Speech TV's other daily news and analysis programs such as The Thom Hartmann Program, GRITtv with Laura Flanders and Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman. All of these programs, including the Al Jazeera English News, are also providing timely coverage of the nuclear crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi power plant in the aftermath of a devastating tsunami.

"We are vey pleased to work with Free Speech TV to bring Al Jazeera English's news content to an even wider audience in the United States," said Roch Pellerin, Global Head of Distribution for Al Jazeera. "Through Free Speech TV's extended carriage of our channel over the last weeks, millions of Americans have been able to watch extensive coverage of the historic revolutions taking place throughout the Middle East. We applaud Free Speech TV for offering Americans the choice to watch Al Jazeera English and to hear from our correspondents around the world who are providing context to these complex situations."

Al Jazeera English's live news feeds are now available on Free Speech TV on DIRECTV channel 348, DISH Network channel 9415, and on www.freespeech.org during the following broadcast windows:  3 a.m. - 8 a.m. , 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. ET.  Upon completion of this special live coverage programming initiative, Free Speech TV will continue to air weekly Al Jazeera English programming as follows:

• Al Jazeera English DC News:  6:00 p.m. ET Monday through Sunday
• Riz Khan Show: 3:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, with repeats at 8:30 p.m., 1:30 a.m., and 9:30 a.m. ET
• Faultines: 10:00 a.m., 10:00 p.m. ET Fridays and 11:00 p.m. ET Sundays  

About Free Speech TV

Launched in 1995, Free Speech TV is an independent, publicly-supported, non-profit TV network and multi-platform media station. Promoting voices and perspectives under-represented in the media, Free Speech TV broadcasts and webcasts independently-produced programs addressing social, political, cultural, and environmental issues. Free Speech TV programs include The Thom Hartmann Show, GRITtv with Laura Flanders, Democracy Now!, Al Jazeera English News, Gay USA, Enviro Close-Up, and a diverse array of investigative documentaries. Free Speech TV reaches 35 million U.S. homes, broadcasting fulltime on DISH Network channel 9415, DIRECTV channel 348, part-time on 175 U.S. community cable affiliate stations, and online at www.freespeech.org.

About Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English is the first English language world news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. Launched in November 2006, Al Jazeera English seeks to present every side and every angle to its stories and act as a bridge between cultures. With unique access, making it the channel of reference for Middle East events, and 65 bureaus strategically placed around the world, Al Jazeera English provides independent and impartial news for a global audience, giving voice to different perspectives from under-reported regions around the world.

Al Jazeera English is available in more than 100 countries to more than 220 million households worldwide.  The channel was awarded "Best 24 Hour News Programme" at the 48th and 50th Annual Monte Carlo Television Festival and has received awards from the Royal Television Society, Amnesty International and YouTube. The channel has also received a total of six International Emmy nominations in the News, Documentary and Current Affairs categories. 

Al Jazeera started out more than thirteen years ago as the first independent Arabic news channel in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive television news and live debate for the Arab world. Al Jazeera was formally named the Al Jazeera Network in March 2006, transforming its operation into an international media corporation – the Al Jazeera Network now consists of the flagship Al Jazeera Arabic channel, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Documentary, Al Jazeera Sport, Al Jazeera.net (the English and Arabic web sites), the Al Jazeera Media Training and Development Center, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies, Al Jazeera Mubasher (Live), and Al Jazeera Mobile.

Visit www.aljazeera.net/english for more details.

For More Information, Contact:
Giselle Campagna - Development and Marketing Director - [email protected]

SOURCE Free Speech TV