khurramdar
2nd October, 2010, 08:06 PM
Al Jazeera confirms Jordan jam; Amman denies involvement
Rebecca Hawkes ?RapidTVNews | 01-10-2010
A UK newspaper report yesterday alleging that Al Jazeera?s broadcasts of this summer?s World Cup were jammed from Jordan has been confirmed by the Qatar-based satellite TV network and termed ?baseless and unacceptable? by officials in Amman.
?The Jordanian Government categorically denies allegations made by unnamed sources to the Guardian newspaper that it was behind the jamming of Al Jazeera broadcast of the World Cup,? said a government statement.
However, a spokesman for Al Jazeera countered: ?The source of the jamming was Jordan,? and confirmed the story in Britain?s Guardian newspaper on 30 September, saying the report was ?based on an investigation carried out by teams of international experts.?
The Doha-based broadcaster told The Guardian yesterday evening: ?It is alarming that the source of the interruption is from inside the Arab world,? and added: ?we will be requesting the Jordanian government to provide a full explanation of this well documented incident.?
Al Jazeera, who had exclusive rights to broadcast World Cup matches across the Middle East and North Africa, faced significant transmission problems during eight matches of this summer?s prestigious football tournament ? angering impassioned fans who had paid a premium to watch the games on TV.
In Amman yesterday, the government official dismissed ?speculation? that Jordan allegedly disrupted the broadcasts in reaction to the collapse of negotiations to buy terrestrial broadcast rights from Al Jazeera for the World Cup. According to AFP, Jordan had approached Al Jazeera with an offer to buy these rights almost four months before the start of the tournament, but Al Jazeera did not begin negotiating a deal until days before the opening match.
Al Jazeera then reportedly offered Jordan the broadcast rights to 20 games in return for US$8 million, plus over $50,000 for televising each game on a giant screen in under privileged areas. However, the government did not accept the offer ?because it believed it was made too late and the matches offered by Al Jazeera did not justify the cost.?
The Jordanian government has said it will co-operate with any team of independent experts to examine the facts.
Rebecca Hawkes ?RapidTVNews | 01-10-2010
A UK newspaper report yesterday alleging that Al Jazeera?s broadcasts of this summer?s World Cup were jammed from Jordan has been confirmed by the Qatar-based satellite TV network and termed ?baseless and unacceptable? by officials in Amman.
?The Jordanian Government categorically denies allegations made by unnamed sources to the Guardian newspaper that it was behind the jamming of Al Jazeera broadcast of the World Cup,? said a government statement.
However, a spokesman for Al Jazeera countered: ?The source of the jamming was Jordan,? and confirmed the story in Britain?s Guardian newspaper on 30 September, saying the report was ?based on an investigation carried out by teams of international experts.?
The Doha-based broadcaster told The Guardian yesterday evening: ?It is alarming that the source of the interruption is from inside the Arab world,? and added: ?we will be requesting the Jordanian government to provide a full explanation of this well documented incident.?
Al Jazeera, who had exclusive rights to broadcast World Cup matches across the Middle East and North Africa, faced significant transmission problems during eight matches of this summer?s prestigious football tournament ? angering impassioned fans who had paid a premium to watch the games on TV.
In Amman yesterday, the government official dismissed ?speculation? that Jordan allegedly disrupted the broadcasts in reaction to the collapse of negotiations to buy terrestrial broadcast rights from Al Jazeera for the World Cup. According to AFP, Jordan had approached Al Jazeera with an offer to buy these rights almost four months before the start of the tournament, but Al Jazeera did not begin negotiating a deal until days before the opening match.
Al Jazeera then reportedly offered Jordan the broadcast rights to 20 games in return for US$8 million, plus over $50,000 for televising each game on a giant screen in under privileged areas. However, the government did not accept the offer ?because it believed it was made too late and the matches offered by Al Jazeera did not justify the cost.?
The Jordanian government has said it will co-operate with any team of independent experts to examine the facts.