MUMBAI: Al Jazeera English announced plans to begin making clips from its news and programmes available to the YouTube community by launching a Channel.
(http://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) on the popular video-sharing site.
YouTube users worldwide will have the ability to comment on Al Jazeera English clips, rate them, recommend them to friends and post their own video responses to communicate with other viewers.
The new branded Channel will also include links to Al Jazeera English's official website (www.aljazeera.net/english).
Content from the new global broadcaster will include segments from top shows such as Frost over the World, Everywoman, inside Iraq, Inside Story, Listening Post, Riz Khan, One-on-One, The Fabulous Picture Show, Witness and 48.
Speaking on the announcement, Al Jazeera English managing director Nigel Parsons said: "We believe that YouTube is a perfect platform to reach out to our audience and to give wide and easy access to new viewers around the world. We have significantly built on our distribution since launch and now reach well in access of 90 million cable and satellite households worldwide. With YouTube's community of millions of online users this is set to dramatically increase."
Al Jazeera English is also planning to release some exclusive web-only programming, starting with Poltical Bytes, a global conversation hosted by UN correspondent Mark Seddon which will ask the YouTube community to carry on the conversation and add video contributions.
Over time, Al Jazeera English will continue to provide new content to the site by adding at least 10-15 new clips each week.
Commenting on the launch, Al Jazeera Web and New Media English editor in chief Russell Merryman said "The new Al Jazeera English branded Channel on YouTube will allow us to approach and interact with our viewers in a new way and will give us a chance to target other potential audiences through this new global platform. It is a perfect way to promote our best content and set the news agenda for Internet users around the world."
Al Jazeera English is the world's first English language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. Its head quartered in Doha and broadcasting from within the Middle East
YouTube is in online video, and a destination to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience.
