水土不服 半島電視臺將關閉美國頻道
The cable news channel Al Jazeera America, which debuted in 2013 to great fanfare when it promised to cover American news soberly and seriously, is shutting down by the end of April. The move was announced at a companywide meeting on Wednesday.
2013年，半島電視臺美國頻道(Al Jazeera America) 在萬衆期待中開播，當時承諾以冷靜嚴肅的態度播報美國新聞。如今，這一頻道卻將於今年4月底停播。該決議是在本週三的公司全會中宣佈的。
In a memo to the staff, Al Jazeera America’s chief executive, Al Anstey, said the “decision by Al Jazeera America’s board is driven by the fact that our business model is simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges in the U.S. media marketplace.”
在致員工的備忘錄中，半島電視臺美國頻道首席執行官埃爾·安思蒂(Al Anstey)表示，“董事會之所以作出這一決定，是基於我們的運營模式無法應對美國傳媒市場的經濟挑戰。”
“I know the closure of AJAM will be a massive disappointment for everyone here who has worked tirelessly for our long-term future,” he continued. “The decision that has been made is in no way because AJAM has done anything but a great job. Our commitment to great journalism is unrivaled.”
“我知道半島電視臺美國頻道的關閉，令在座所有人深感失望。各位一直在爲我們的長遠前景在孜孜不倦地努力，”他還說。“作出這一決定，絕不是因爲半島電視臺美國頻道表現不佳。相反，我們打造的優秀新聞出類拔萃。”
Al Jazeera America went on the air in August 2013 after it bought Al Gore’s Current TV for $500 million. It promised to be thoughtful and smart, free of the shouting arguments that have defined cable news in the United States over the last decade. But meaningful viewership never came, with prime-time ratings sometimes struggling to exceed 30,000 viewers.
以5億美元收購美國前副總統阿爾·戈爾(Al Gore)創立的Current有線電視臺後，半島電視臺美國頻道於2013年8月正式開播。它承諾致力於播報洞察深刻的新聞報道，避免過去10年間美國有線新聞臺大吵大嚷的風氣。然而，它一直未能獲得足夠的觀衆，黃金檔的收視有時十分努力才突破3萬人次。
To make matters worse, the newsroom was hit with turmoil last year when staff members complained bitterly of a culture of fear. There was an exodus of top executives, along with a pair of lawsuits from former employees that included complaints about sexism and anti-Semitism at the news channel.
去年，新聞編輯室陷入混亂令事態雪上加霜，員工憤怒地抱怨工作氛圍充斥着恐懼。多名高層離職，前僱員對新聞臺內部存在性別歧視和反猶太主義的兩起訴訟又起風波。
In May, Ehab Al Shihabi, the chief executive of Al Jazeera America, was replaced by Mr. Anstey. Morale improved in the following months but ratings remained low.
去年5月，半島電視臺美國頻道前臺長埃哈伯·謝哈比(Ehab Al Shihabi)被安思蒂取而代之。此後數月，臺內士氣有所提振，但收視率依然不高。
And Al Jazeera America has not been free of controversy in recent months. In November, the news station’s general counsel, David W. Harleston, was suspended following a report in The New York Times that he did not appear to be licensed to practice law. In late December, Al Jazeera aired an hourlong documentary that linked some of the biggest stars in Major League Baseball and the National Football League to performance-enhancing drugs. The most prominent athlete mentioned in the report was the Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who angrily denied the report, calling it “complete garbage” and “totally made up.”
在過去幾個月間，半島電視臺美國頻道依然爭議不斷。去年11月，《紐約時報》報道，該頻道的總法律顧問戴維·W·哈爾斯頓 (David W. Harleston)似乎並不具備律師執業資格，他隨後被停職。去年12月末，半島電視臺美國頻道播放了一部長約一小時的紀錄片，內容涉及美國職業棒球大聯盟(MLB)和美國職業橄欖球聯盟(NFL)的頂級球星服用興奮劑。該報道涉及的最大牌的球星是丹佛野馬隊(Denver Broncos)的四分衛佩頓·曼寧(Peyton Manning)。他憤怒地否認了報道內容，稱之爲“一派胡言”、“全盤捏造”。
As part of Wednesday’s announcement, Mr. Anstey said that after the cable news network shuts down by April 30, Al Jazeera would expand its digital presence in the United States. The expansion “would bring new global content into America.”
在本週三的聲明中，安思蒂還表示， 頻道於4月30日停播後，半島會在美國擴大數字服務，將“爲美國帶來新的國際視野”。
