After a four-year wait, the Doha-based international news network Al Jazeera's English News channel finally seems all set to be launched in India.
The channel's Managing Director Al Anstey will brief journalists on the channel's “India plans” in Delhi on Tuesday. Channel officials refused to officially confirm the launch, but all indications seem to point that way with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting giving the final go-ahead last month for the downlink of Al Jazeera's global signals in India.
Al Jazeera originally snagged the international spotlight when its Arabic news channel exclusively broadcast al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's video messages after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
When its English channel was launched internationally in 2006, Al Jazeera had applied for permission for a downlink in India as well. However, the Home Ministry had then, citing security considerations, recommended against granting Al Jazeera permission to register a company or provide news in the country.
