After turning down Glenn Beck's The Blaze, Al-Jazeera, the network owned by Qatar's government, has agreed to buy Al Gore’s low-rated Current TV, The Blaze reported Wednesday. After the announcement, Time Warner Cable dropped Current, telling customers the network is no longer available.
According to a report at The Blaze, Current "rebuffed" Beck's network last year, saying that “the legacy of who the network goes to is important to us and we are sensitive to networks not aligned with our point of view.”
The Wall Street Journal said that Al-Jazeera will create a new channel called Al-Jazeera America, and will “invest significantly” in new programming.
"Current’s programming line-up includes Eliot Spitzer, Jennifer Granholm and Joy Behar. Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann was fired from the channel in March after less than a year," The Blaze added.
A post at Twitchy noted the irony of the sale to the oil-rich nation and said conservatives on Twitter had a good laugh over the news.
"Al Gore: So called green activist hitting the jackpot from rick Qatari oil tycoons. The irony hurts my head," tweeted "John Brooks."
"Irony. Climate change guru Al Gore sells his Current TV to Al Jazeera, supported by oil kingdom," added "Dusty Rhodes."
"So, the king of global climate warming change has sold out to evil oil producers? Hence forth, Al Gore shall be synonymous with hypocrite," another person tweeted.
"Heh MT @billhobbs: Muslim media co funded by oil $ buys Al Gore's failed TV net, where he pushed alt energy. Gore is now an oil profiteer," Tammy Bruce added.
According to the New York Times, sources familiar with the sale said the deal was worth an estimated $500 million, although the network did not disclose the selling price. The Times also said that since Gore owns 20 percent of Current, he would receive a $100 million payout.
"Mr. Gore and his partners were eager to complete the deal by Dec. 31, lest it be subject to higher tax rates that took effect on Jan. 1, according to several people who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly," the Times added.
Related:
- Liberal Al-Jazeera op-ed: America should forget 9/11
- Journalist Charles Davis brands U.S. soldiers as rapists on Twitter
- Al Gore blames Obama's poor debate performance on Denver's high altitude
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