Al Jazeera English Appoints New Global Distribution Chief

DOHA,
September 27: Al Jazeera English has appointed former Turner Broadcasting
System executive Phil Lawrie as the director of global distribution, with
responsibility for obtaining broad distribution in the U.S. market, as well as
deeper penetration in India and other key markets worldwide.

Prior
to joining the network, Lawrie held several senior business development
positions at Turner Broadcasting System, most recently as VP of commercial
distribution and digital media sales at TBS’s European headquarters in London.

Al
Jazeera English has achieved a global viewership of 100 million homes just one
year after its launch. Al Jazeera English is carried by major cable and
satellite operators around the world. The channel is exploiting and expanding
in all areas of new media, including IPTV and mobile technologies, with a
dedicated channel on YouTube, among other initiatives.

“In
just one year, Al Jazeera English has exceeded our wildest expectations in
terms of its global carriage,” said Abdullah Al Najjar, the commercial director
of Al Jazeera Network. “The U.S., as well as India and China, represent the
next stage in our global distribution efforts. These are sophisticated markets
that have a need and desire for international news, and I am delighted that
someone as experienced, creative and passionate as Phil is leading the charge.”

The
Al Jazeera Network launched over ten years ago as a satellite news service for
the Arab world, and has since grown to encompass a bouquet of channels that
include the Arabic and the English language news channels, Al Jazeera
Documentary Channel, Al Jazeera Mubashar and four sports channels.