History of Al Jazeera Media Network in Timeline
Al Jazeera Media Network, a media conglomerate headquartered in Doha and partly funded by the Qatari government, operates flagship channels like Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English. These channels offer regional and international news coverage, analysis, documentaries, and talk shows. Al Jazeera has expanded its digital presence with platforms like AJ+, targeting younger audiences with online-tailored content. Broadcasting in over 150 countries and territories, Al Jazeera reaches a global audience of over 430 million people.
November 1, 1996: Launch of Al Jazeera Arabic
On November 1, 1996, Al Jazeera Arabic was launched by the government of Qatar, following the shutdown of BBC Arabic Television.
November 1996: Al Jazeera's first day on air
In November 1996, Al Jazeera commenced broadcasting, offering 6 hours of daily programming.
1997: Increase in programming hours
By the end of 1997, Al Jazeera had increased its programming to 12 hours per day.
January 1999: Al Jazeera begins 24-hour broadcasting
In January 1999, Al Jazeera began broadcasting 24 hours a day.
January 1999: Power outage in Algerian cities
On 27 January 1999, several Algerian cities lost power, reportedly to prevent residents from watching an Al Jazeera program implicating the Algerian military in massacres.
2001: Broadcasting from Kabul
In 2001, Al Jazeera was the only international news network broadcasting from Kabul, Afghanistan.
May 2002: Bahrain bans Al Jazeera correspondents
On 10 May 2002, Bahrain banned Al Jazeera correspondents from reporting inside the country, citing bias towards Israel and against Bahrain.
2002: Push for "repositioning" of Al Jazeera
In late 2002, Ali Mohamed Kama, the director of marketing of Al Jazeera, began to push a "repositioning" of Al Jazeera, which included the introduction of English subtitles and dubbing of broadcast into English.
March 2003: Launch of English-language website
In March 2003, Al Jazeera launched an English-language website called "Al Jazeera Net".
2003: Website Hacking and contract cancellations
In 2003, Al Jazeera Net, the website, was hacked and faced denial of service attacks, leading to contract cancellations with web providers and advertisers.
2003: Hiring of English-language journalists
In 2003, Al Jazeera hired its first English-language journalists, including Afshin Rattansi from the BBC's Today Programme.
July 2004: Algerian government freezes Al Jazeera correspondent activities
On 4 July 2004, the Algerian government froze the activities of Al Jazeera's Algerian correspondent, reportedly in reprisal for a broadcast on the political situation in Algeria.
2004: Al Jazeera correspondents return to Bahrain
In 2004, Al Jazeera correspondents returned to Bahrain following improvements in relations between Bahrain and Qatar.
2004: Establishment of Al Jazeera Sport
In 2004, Al Jazeera expanded into sports with the establishment of Al Jazeera Sport.
April 2005: First Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival
The first Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival was held in April 2005 at the Doha Sheraton in Doha, Qatar.
July 2005: Announcement of Al Jazeera International
In July 2005, Al Jazeera officially announced plans to launch a new English-language satellite service to be called Al Jazeera International.
September 9, 2005: Launch of Al Jazeera Children's Channel
On September 9, 2005, Al Jazeera established a children's division with the launch of Al Jazeera Children's Channel.
2005: Reforms during the Arab Spring
Critics acknowledge Al Jazeera's role in reforms during the 2005 Arab Spring.
November 15, 2006: Launch of Al Jazeera English
On November 15, 2006, Al Jazeera English (AJE) was launched as the English-language counterpart to Al Jazeera Arabic.
November 2006: Launch of Al Jazeera English
In November 2006, Al Jazeera English launched with broadcast centers in Doha, London, Kuala Lumpur, and Washington D.C.
2006: Establishment of Al Jazeera Center for Studies
In 2006, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies was established. The center conducts in-depth analysis of current affairs and aims to promote dialogue between cultures and religions.
January 16, 2009: Launch of Baraem
On January 16, 2009, Baraem launched, targeting an audience of three to seven-year-olds.
November 2009: Approval for Al Jazeera English in Canada
In November 2009, Al Jazeera English received approval from the CRTC to broadcast via satellite in Canada.
2010: Bahrain bans Al Jazeera correspondents again
In 2010, the Information Ministry again banned Al Jazeera correspondents from reporting inside Bahrain, accusing the network of flouting press laws after a report on poverty.
February 2011: Acquisition of Cine5
In February 2011, Al Jazeera acquired Cine5 for $40.5 million, planning to launch a Turkish language operation.
September 2011: Wadah Khanfar Resigns
On September 20, 2011, Wadah Khanfar, Director-General of the Al Jazeera Network, resigned.
2011: Creation of Al Jazeera Balkans
In 2011, Al Jazeera Media Network created Al Jazeera Balkans, broadcasting in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian from Sarajevo.
2011: Re-designation to Private Institution
In 2011, Al Jazeera Media Network was legally re-designated from a public institution to a 'private institution of public utility'.
2011: Coverage of the Arab Spring
In 2011, Al Jazeera extensively covered the Arab Spring, playing a significant role in disseminating news of the uprisings throughout the Middle East.
April 2012: Delay of Turkish Channel and Investor Withdrawal
In April 2012, the launch of Al Jazeera's Turkish channel faced delays due to disagreements over the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), leading to investor withdrawal and resignations.
January 2013: Purchase of Current TV
On January 2, 2013, Al Jazeera Media Network announced its purchase of Current TV in the United States, planning to launch an American news channel.
August 2013: Launch of Al Jazeera America
In August 2013, Al Jazeera America was launched exclusively on cable and satellite systems in the United States.
2013: Renaming to JeemTV
In 2013, Al Jazeera Children's Channel was renamed JeemTV.
2013: Creation of Al Jazeera Türk
In 2013, Al Jazeera announced the creation of Al Jazeera Türk, a version of Al Jazeera in the Turkish language(s).
2013: Accusations of backing Arab Spring protests in Iraq
In 2013, Al Jazeera was accused by many Iraqi government supporters of backing Arab spring protests in the country.
January 2014: Renaming of Al Jazeera Sport to beIN Sports
On January 1, 2014, Al Jazeera Sport was renamed to beIN Sports and spun off into beIN Media Group.
January 22, 2014: Launch of Al Jazeera Türk's website
On January 22, 2014, Al Jazeera Türk launched its website with news content.
June 2014: Soft launch of AJ+
In June 2014, AJ+ soft-launched with a new webpage, Facebook page and videos on YouTube.
September 2014: Full launch of AJ+
On September 15, 2014, the full channel of AJ+ launched with an app.
January 13, 2016: Announcement of Al Jazeera America Closure
On January 13, 2016, Al Jazeera America CEO Al Anstey announced that the network would cease operations.
April 1, 2016: Acquisition of JeemTV and Baraem by beIN Media Group
On April 1, 2016, both JeemTV and Baraem were acquired by beIN Media Group and made exclusive to beIN Channels Network.
April 12, 2016: Cessation of Al Jazeera America Operations
On April 12, 2016, Al Jazeera America ceased operations.
2016: Iraq bans Al Jazeera
In 2016, the Iraqi government banned Al Jazeera, accusing it of inciting violence and sectarianism.
June 2017: UAE blocks Al Jazeera
On 5 June 2017, the UAE blocked Al Jazeera, claiming Qatar was a major sponsor of hate speech through Al Jazeera's Arabic-language network.
2017: Shutdown of Al Jazeera Türk's website
In 2017, Al Jazeera Türk's website was shut down without the channel ever being launched.
2017: Launch of Jetty (Al Jazeera Podcasts)
In 2017, Al Jazeera launched a podcasting network called Jetty, later renamed Al Jazeera Podcasts.
2017: Strategic Partnership with Google
In 2017, Al Jazeera signed a strategic partnership agreement with Google.
January 1, 2018: Launch of Mandarin-language news website
On January 1, 2018, Al Jazeera launched a Mandarin-language news website, targeting the Chinese audience.
2018: Debut of various podcasts
In 2018, Al Jazeera's Jetty debuted with the podcast Closer Than They Appear, and various other podcasts were launched.
2018: Start of Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival
In 2018, the Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival was started as an annual international documentary film festival based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
May 2019: Sudan closes Al Jazeera's office
In May 2019, Sudan closed Al Jazeera's office and summoned its envoy in Qatar for consultation, due to Qatar's close ties with ousted Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.
2019: Partnership with China Intercontinental Communication Center and Content License Agreement with Bloomberg
In 2019, Al Jazeera signed a partnership agreement with the China Intercontinental Communication Center to expand its documentary content and also signed a content license agreement with Bloomberg.
2021: Launch of Rightly
In 2021, Al Jazeera launched Rightly, an online news channel aimed at center-right American conservatives.
2021: Partnership with Arewa 24
In 2021, Al Jazeera partnered with Arewa 24 to provide its content in Hausa.
2023: Partnership with Avid Technology
In 2023, Al Jazeera partnered with Avid Technology.
May 2024: Israel bans Al Jazeera
In May 2024, Israel banned Al Jazeera, forcing their offices in the country to close.
September 2024: IDF orders closure of Al Jazeera Office in Ramallah
In September 2024, the IDF ordered the closure of the Al Jazeera Office in Ramallah, considering it a threat to national security.
2025: Palestinian Authority suspends Al Jazeera TV broadcasts from Gaza
At the start of 2025, the Palestinian Authority suspended Qatar's Al Jazeera TV broadcasts from Gaza, claiming it shows "inciting material."
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