Wednesday, April 27, 2011

TOLDJA! Al Jazeera confirms its starting a new social media TV show called The Stream from May.


Last month I told you RIGHT HERE that Al Jazeera is working on a new, social media TV show called The Stream and the Arabic-based 24 news channel has now confirmed it.

Al Jazeera (DStv 406 / TopTV 401) says The Stream will launch in May on the channel, but will already be active online.

''Al Jazeera is pleased to announce the launch of The Stream, a social media show. The daily program is the first of its kind, acting as an aggregator of online sources and discussions, seeking out unheard voices and new perspectives from people around the world and presenting untold angles related to the most compelling stories of the day,'' says the channel in a press release.

''The Stream draws on the enormous growth of the social networks that are transforming today's news and current affairs agendas and that have played a key communication role in the recent revolutions in emerging democracies. The Stream will begin broadcasting on Al Jazeera in May.''

Derrick Ashong will be the presenter of The Stream which will be done from Washington D.C. ''The Stream is a truly unique concept which will tap into the increasing power of social media as a vital news source,'' says Paul Eedle, director of programming for Al Jazeera. ''The growth of social networks and their associated tools are transforming global news agendas. The Stream will allow Al Jazeera to bridge the divide between new and traditional media in a way that engages a new generation of news consumers.''