| Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 16, 2001 |
Chinese Reporter Unveils Defiant Qatari TV Station |
 Al-Jazeera (The Peninsula), a popular Arab satellite TV channel in Qatar, has become a headache to western countries by broadcasting Bin Laden's two speeches after the "September 11" incident. Global Time's reporter Lu Zhixing lately unveiled the mysterious TV station.
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Al-Jazeera (The Peninsula), a popular Arab satellite TV channel in Qatar, has become a headache to western countries by broadcasting Bin Laden's two speeches after the "September 11" incident. Global Time's reporter Lu Zhixing lately unveiled the mysterious TV station.
As a Chinese once working for 15 years in Damascus, the capital of Syria, Lu can speak fluent Arabic and so his interview request was easily accepted. Like any common institutions, there was no army-man or guard here. Walking into the central hall, Lu was greeted by a reporter just back from Kandaha and he said working there was too tired and dangerous.
The hall is for news editing, with dozens of TV monitors on a vast wall and over 30 computers on the desk. The hall is surround by cabins controlling different programs.
Al-Jazeera is a private TV channel funded by the state when setting up in 1996, which never interfere with its business. Through selling telefilm and advertising it has amassed quite a sum of money and now is totally independent, says Samir, chief producer of news programs. There is a staff of 600 for the channel, including 100 journalists, most of them being from Arabic countries and working a lot everyday.
After beginning of Afghan war Al-Jazeera once signed an agreement with western stations as CNN and BBC on exchanging news, but the agreement would go expire upon the end of the war. The channel's cooperation with CNN on technical training in the early days was also ended long ago.
Al-Jazeera brings all kinds of voices to world spectators instead of a single on the principle of equality and fairness, says Samir proudly. Many Arabic leaders, not satisfied with the channel, even asked Qatari government to close the channel, which, however, didn't change its business orientation and program style.
After the war was launched Al-Jazeera became the only TV station that provides the world with facts in Afghanistan, for it has set up reporter centers in Kabul and Kandaha, and one in Jalalabad is soon to be established. There is only one reporter for each center, but he would work bravely under danger and difficulties to spread real news to the world.
Our reporters always stay at the spot so we got Bin Laden's videotapes easily. It's not any channel leader's instruction to broadcast Laden's speeches, but reporter's decision under the principle that a reporter is responsible to his direct leader.
The US is so furious that president Bush once asked Qatar Emir to adopt measures against the channel and Powell also reacted violently. In spite of that, Al-Jazeera still sticks to its business orientation. The relation with Israel is an extremely sensitive issue to Arab world, but the TV station has contacted with Israeli leaders, making it possible for them to voice their points of view and to make Arab leaders hear the voices from their adversaries. The TV station is putting up another studio, Samir told our correspondent in a tone of complacency and confidence when leaving the station.
By PD Online Staff Li Heng
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