The popularity of Western news channels BBC and CNN as sources of information is rapidly being overtaken by Al-Jazeera TV In Karachi and other major cities according to Pakistan’s The Nation newspaper.
A survey of cable operators found that Al-Jazeera’s new English-language news service is “in great demand’ and has displaced the popularity of Western satellite news channels.
One of the leading TV cable operators in an upmarket suburban area of Karachi said that a large number of subscribers called them up, demanding that they show Al-Jazeera when the channel launched its English news service. According to him, the Islamic Peace TV was previously the most sought-after channel among local residents. He said that a majority of his subscribers had preferred CNN and the BBC for news coverage but now these subscribers were requesting Al-Jazeera.
Prof Dr Talat Wazarat, the chairperson of the Department of International Relations at Karachi University, is quoted as saying that a major reason for the switch to Al-Jazeera was the credibility of news and sources. She stated that foreign TV news channels often quoted news from the Al-Jazeera Arabic channel, which had enhanced the credibility of the Doha-based channel. She added that the BBC and CNN were perceived as being biased over their reporting of 9/11 and coverage of recent events in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestinian.
Comments from viewers who were interviewed by the newspaper said Riz Khan’s programme and the “Inside Story” segment on Al-Jazeera English were objective. Apparently not only conservative Muslims but also moderates were attracted to Al-Jazeera programming.
(Source: Rapid TV News) www.rapidtvnews.com
