Saturated Market

     By no means am I an entrepreneur, I have almost always worked for someone else.  But if I were to look at going into business for myself I would look at certain factors.

Is there a demand for my product or service?

Can I outperform competition in quality or cost?
Can I make a decent return on the money I’ll have to invest?
(There are many more considerations but if you answer no to any of these, why bother?)

    Just looking at these three factors I question the Al Jazeera decision to purchase Current TV.  Counting local affiliates, cable, satellite news organizations (ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, ect…) and the internet, there’s a gluttony of news sources in the North American market, so I don’t see an outcry for additional services.  Al Jazeera has announced that its planned programming will consist of 60% American produced content and 40% of the programming coming from Al Jazeera English (Headquartered in Doha Qatar) and has also suggested there will be limited or no commercial content, this could be a welcomed change from the three to five minute commercial breaks we’ve come to expect but leaves the question… Who’s Footing the Bill?  Being the government of Qatar is the chief financier what are they look for in return for their investment? (Al Jazeera revenues amount to approximately 1/3 of its operating cost)

    My cynical opinion is they are seeking something valued more than money or treasure; they are seeking an avenue to public opinion, a way to put a softer face on Islamic extremism.  There have been instances where the tone of reporting differs between the Arabic and English versions of the same stories (the Arabic versions being harsher and more anti-American).  I pulled their Sept. 12^th account of the Benghazi attack and the killing of four Americans to see their slant.  Although they had a reporter on-site (Suleiman El-Dressi) they chose to report the attack was “… a protest against an amateur film deemed offensive to Islam’s prophet, Muhammad…”  The same disinformation being sent out by CNN, MSNBC and the White House (Kind of funny, the same day I put out a more accurate account of what happened and I was sitting in a cornfield in Indiana).  Along with the video story, they also sought to blame the United States State Department /Government by reporting U.S. personnel should have been pulled out of Libya after news of the offending video had broke.  I followed up with their coverage of mass shooting and they seemed quite focused on the need to disarm America as the only solution.  (How’s that banning of suicide bombs working out in the middle-east neck of the woods?  Background checks? Licensing requirements? Or closer to home in Qatar, that Islamic “Involuntary Servitude” thing…  Slaves? I think that went out in the 1860’s…  At least around here).           

    Not only are the Islamic political goals of Al Jazeera (and financial backer Qatar) questionable but economic concerns could soon come into play.  Qatar is the worlds largest exporter of natural gas, the United States is experiencing a natural gas windfall that could dwarf the middle-eastern supply thus the strangle-hold they have on the energy market.  Will bias reports by Al Jazeera America on U.S. natural gas extraction, technology and environmental impact make it to the anchor desk during the evening news to protect Qatar’s hold on market share (and their funding)?     

    As far as the celebrity endorsement by Hillary Clinton “Viewership of Al Jazeera is going up in the United States because it’s real news”.  Hillary just isn’t someone I would look to on matters of credibility, transparency, being forthcoming or honesty… The only excuse she hasn’t used on the Benghazi debacle (so far) is “Bill ate my briefing papers.”

    For myself, If I need a healthy dose of America SUCK’s or I get the urge to be told how I don’t need old-fashion rights or freedoms, I’ll click on over to MSNBC or tune in on an Obama speech.  Then if I’m feeling frisky and want to be told I’m wicked by someone with an accent I’ll jump over to CNN for some of Piers Morgan’s witty words…

 

    Al Jazeera, I think the market is saturated with what you’ve come to peddle.

The TOMCAT  

I would like to commend Al Jazeera on its delay in closing the deal with Mr. Gore, what could have been a 15% tax liability for “Green Al” had the deal closed by Dec. 31, 2012 will now jump to approximately 24.7% (23.8 Cap. Gains + 0.9% Obama Care)…  I bet Green Al was seeing RED!

 

Al Jazeera Sep. 12, 2012 report on Benghazi

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/09/20129112108737726.html

My POST on the Benghazi Attack (written Sep. 12, 2012)

http://thetomcatblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-party-is-planned-just-waiting-on.html

Al Jazeera 22 July 2012 Does the US need stricter gun control laws

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2012/07/2012721115259194262.html