Ken Berwitz
In case you have not heard, there are two milestone media events in the news today….
-Al Jazeera America, the money pit which bought an unwatched network, Al Gore\’s Current TV, and became an even less watched network, is closing shop. April will be its swan song.When oil was over $100 a barrel, Qatar, the network\’s source of funding, could afford to lose all that $$$. But now, with oil hovering around the $30 a barrel range and no upward jump in sight (that\’s not to say it can\’t happen, only that it doesn\’t look like it will as of this moment), the huge losses it continues to sustain suddenly are making a difference.Personally, I did not watch enough of Al-Jazeera America to have an opinion of its programming. But one of my dearest friends – who, it should be disclosed, is an observant Jew – said that, despite its drawbacks, he found more Middle East news there – very often of a neutral nature – than he could find anywhere else.Other than its employees, he may be the only person in America who will miss it.-Ed Schultz, who had modest success as an MSNBC prime time host before being consigned to a weekend show guaranteed not to be watched, then was brought back in a less desirable time slot, and eventually was dumped altogether, has found a new home.He will have a show on RT – that\’s Russia Today – in which he will advocate, or so he says, for the working man and woman.With something like $10 – 15 million dollars in net worth, that might sound a bit incongruous. But people who buy into Hundred Million Hillary as a champion of the middle class and downtrodden are probably going to be at least somewhat receptive, I suppose.
So we bid an adieu (maybe a fond one, that\’s your call) to Al-Jazeera America, and a welcome back (maybe a happy one, that\’s also your call) to Ed Schultz.
Based on the ratings for each, I doubt too many people will notice. But, then again, no one knows for sure. Besides, the way Vladimir Putin is manhandling Barack Obama, RT may wind up our official house organ and Ed Schultz, along with what\’s left of Larry King, who also has a show there, will be on top of the world.
