Comments on: Israel may dump CNN

By: LynnB

LynnB — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 03:01:39 +0000

What. Again? This happens every few years and, as Snoopy says, it’s all about money.

2002 version:

Israel’s cable television commission yesterday granted the country’s cable providers permission to remove CNN International from their services.

While none of the three Israeli cable companies — Matav, Golden Channels and Tevel — have done so, they have dangled that possibility in months of tough contract negotiations with CNN, a subsidiary of AOL Time Warner. The companies say the prices they have traditionally paid CNN, which neither side would disclose, are untenable now that they are facing financial difficulty.

They recently began to offer their customers CNN’s main competitor in the United States, Fox News Channel, a unit of the News Corporation, instead.

By: Herschel

Herschel — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:39:02 +0000

At my Minneapolis JCC health club, we have 4 TV sets in the aerobics area.
Invariably, two or more are always tuned to CNN, I do not understand why?
We Jews are so programmed that we continue to vote liberal Democrat even though that party is moving in an anti Israel direction and is insulting to Jews that believe in Israel!

I refuse to watch CNN any longer, the first thing I do is switch to FOX news when I arrive.

By: David Charlap

David Charlap — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:20:15 +0000

Al Jazeera? CNN? Is there a difference?

By: Rahel

Rahel — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:52:14 +0000

I don’t have cable, but even so I’m of two minds. One says: good riddance. The other says: we should keep CNN because someone’s got to keep tabs on them and write in to protest when necessary.

Al-Jazeera: Feh.

By: SnoopyTheGoon

SnoopyTheGoon — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:28:27 +0000

Nah. It’s all about money in this case. HOT – the provider in question – are going overboard with pennypinching lately to show a positive balance.

Saying this, I am using them for all three major services: TV, Internet, phone.

Oh, well…

By: nathan

nathan — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:19:08 +0000

There are two main cable TV companies in Israel, Hot and Yes. I don’t know about Hot, but the Yes basic package of channels includes Al Jazeera English (along with CNN, BBC, CCTV, France 24, Fox News, Sky News and other European news channels) and Al Jazeera in Arabic (along with many other Arabic channels from different Arab countries).

It’s no big deal, especially since Al Jazeera isn’t any more biased or any more obsessed with Israel than the BBC or CNN. The decision to include or to exclude a channel are made on financial, not political grounds, except in the case of enemy states such as Syria and Iran.

It’s funny how the Jerusalem Post can be so disconnected at times with the reality in Israel.