The operation, launched in August 2013 with the purchase of Al Gore’s Current TV for $500m (£347m), was out to “win the mind and heart of the American audience”, then AJAM CEO Ehab Al Shihabi said at the time.
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Since then, Al Jazeera America failed to build viewership with its in-depth enterprise reporting.
According to Politico, staffers at Al Jazeera America learned of the closure Wednesday during a staff meeting, where they were told the channel’s business model was “no longer sustainable”.
It was referring to a statement by the Al Jazeera Media Network, which called for a “significant expansion” of activities in the U.S. market. “And you are the most talented team any organization could wish for”.
But nearly as soon as it launched, Al Jazeera America was plagued by problems.
Al Jazeera America found its way into the sports pages last month with its expose alleging performance-enhancing drug use in Major League Baseball and the NFL, including the allegation that an anti-aging clinic in IN mailed human growth hormone to Manning’s wife, Ashley, at various spots around the country.
The cable news network announced today it will shutter operations April 30, citing the “unsustainability” of its operations.
“Al Jazeera America is committed to conducting this process in a way that is consistent with its respect for colleagues”, Anstey said.
The company says it will now expand, instead, its existing worldwide digital services in the USA – as consumers ditch traditional media outlets and move to smartphones and tablets for their news.
Al Jazeera America is the United States news channel that provides both domestic and worldwide news for American audiences.
The Qatar-based broadcaster spent millions of dollars hiring top USA journalists but struggled to bring viewers to its news programmes.
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Al Jazeera America was never able to jump above the 30,000 viewer mark and now the cable news network will be gone by April, allowing the parent company, Al Jazeera Media Network, to focus its efforts on its global digital services.
