Al-Jazeera pulls plug on its US channel

Cable channel Al-Jazeera America, launched with great fanfare in 2013 by the global Qatar-based media group, will be shut down on April 30, the company said on Wednesday.

The move comes after an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in the channel failed to attract more than a minuscule audience.

An internal memo from director-general Mostefa Souag said the decision was “driven by the fact that our business model is simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges in the US media marketplace.”

Mr Souag said the shutdown would be accompanied by an expansion of Al-Jazeera’s digital services “to broaden our multi-platform presence in the United States”.

Al-Jazeera paid some $500 million to launch the cable news operation aimed at rivaling CNN, Fox News and MSNBC.

In mid-2013, the channel went live after hiring some 850 staff and opening 12 bureaus in the United States and a state-of-the art studio in New York.