Al Jazeera English Expands U.S. Reach

NEW YORK: Al Jazeera English has secured further U.S. carriage through Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS, bringing the English-language news service to 2 million homes in the New York City region via a deal with Regional News Network (RNN).

Al Jazeera English launched today to Time Warner Cable customers and becomes available on Verizon FiOS in the coming days. RNN will provide access to Al Jazeera’s English-language service on its Rise channel. RNN also plans to air Al Jazeera English on WRNN-TV weekdays at 5 p.m. 

“We’re delighted to now be on televisions across New York,” said Al Anstey, Al Jazeera English’s managing director. “This launch has been fueled by viewer demand. We are already part of the media landscape here, with one in ten people having got information on events in America and the world from our website this year alone. We get more web traffic from New York than any other city on earth. Half a million New Yorkers are classed as regular visitors. Ever since our establishment, we’ve been committed to coverage of America and New York with a large bureau and team of journalists based in the city, so we’re delighted to now be broadcasting global news onto televisions throughout the global melting pot that is New York.”

“Since 1993, Regional News Network has proudly served the tri-state area with original and compelling programming,” added Dick French, RNN’s president. “We are thrilled to be working with Al Jazeera English to meet the demand that exists for more international news in the New York City area, one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse in the world. Al Jazeera English has a clear commitment to telling stories from often underreported regions from Latin America, through Africa and the Middle East to Asia and the Far East. We’re sure New Yorkers will appreciate its presence in the lineup of channels."