24 Hours Of Al Jazeera in English

Al Jazeera will launch its international English language network in early 2006, promising to offer "a Middle Eastern perspective on global events." Presumably, they are not including Israel in the Middle East.

To prep for the launch, Al Jazeera has hired the London-New York-DC public relations firm Brown Lloyd James (BLJ), giving it the challenge to "demystify" the channel. Interesting word for what is really a challenge to give the station a modicum of believability.

BLJ has media experience (BBC, Forbes, Clear Channel) and represents Qatar, Dubai, and Ayad Allawi, but even so, this quote provided to PR Week is a beaut of understatement:

"The channel must establish its identity quickly because there are complex feelings toward the Arabic channel."

Complex indeed. Stopping being the network of choice for bin Laden could be a good first step.

h/t PR Week, subscription required