DOHA, Qatar — A month after Al Jazeera announced they had acquired Current TV and would be launching Al Jazeera America, new details have emerged regarding the Qatari-based network’s plans for original programming. In an interview on Monday, Al Jazeera Director General Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani revealed that the new 24-hour news station would combine Al Jazeera’s award-winning reporting with the “lowbrow infotainment that permeates the pathetic American media landscape.”
“We are extremely excited to bring the Al-Jazeera brand to an American audience,” said Al Thani. “And while we know we must cater to America’s thirst for childish distractions and trivial celebrity escapism in order to stay competitive, we plan on doing so in the most hard-hitting, no-nonsense way possible.”
According to Al Thani, the station will offer such long-form investigative documentary pieces on cute, cuddly kittens getting stuck in compromising situations, and up-to-the-minute reporting on which Kardashian is sleeping with whom, and in what positions.
“When Lindsay Lohan has a nip slip, other stations will report on it, but no one else will ask the hard questions like Al Jazeera America,” said Al Thani. “Exactly what combinations of illicit substances were in her body at the time? Which part of her outfit malfunctioned leading to areola or nipple exposure? This is the kind of tough reporting we’ll bring to the American media landscape.”
Many have speculated that even with quality coverage of the topics Americans care about most – including who got kicked off “Dancing With the Stars” and Michelle Obama’s hair – American audiences might be hesitant to watch an Arabic network. However, Al Thani isn’t concerned about the Al Jazeera brand succeeding in an American market.
“We predict that even the ‘people who think we’re a terrorist network and watch out of hatred’ demographic will give us higher ratings than Current TV.”
