Al Jazeera buys the struggling Current TV channel from Al Gore - report.

The Middle Eastern based Al Jazeera TV news channel is reportedly close to buying out the struggling American actuality TV channel Current TV which went dark on TopTV in South Africa almost a year ago in March 2012.

The British affiliate of the American channel shut shop in March last year which is the channel feed which South African viewers got.

When BSkyB decided to drop Current TV and no longer carry the TV channel, Current TV was forced to shutter its London-based channel while the American side of Current TV which was started by the former American vice president Al Gore in 2005, kept limping along.

The New York Times just broke the news that the Qatar based news channel is close to taking over Current TV which it will redevelop into a new news channel based in New York. Al Jazeera has been struggling to get onto pay-TV platforms in the United States where operators don't want to carry the news channel.

According to The New York Times Current TV could be changed and renamed to Al Jazeera America. Al Jazeera already runs the Al Jazeera news channel in English from Qatar as well as a separate Al Jazeera channel in Arabic. Current TV is run from San Francisco.

UPDATE Thursday 3 January 2013 - Variety reports that the deal is worth $500 million.

There is now a statement about the sale: "We are proud and pleased that Al Jazeera, the award-winning international news organization, has bought Current TV," Al Gore says in a statement. "Current Media was built based on a few key goals: To give voice to those who are not typically heard; to speak truth to power; to provide independent and diverse points of view; and to tell the stories that no one else is telling. Al Jazeera, like Current, believes that facts and truth lead to a better understanding of the world around us."

TOLDJA! Current TV closing down on 11 March on TopTV but the pay TV provideris negotiating for a new similar channel.

In January I broke the news RIGHT HERE that TopTV will be losing the Current TV (TopTV 406), I told you that TopTV tried to see if it avert it.

Last month I told you Current TV will be closing down on 11 March with the movie Shed Your Tears and Walk Away.

TopTV just issued a short statement saying that TopTV is indeed losing Current TV on 11 March and that TopTV is working on a replacement channel. TopTV says Current TV will ''cease operations on 11 March 2012'' and that ''the channel will thus no longer be available as part of the TopTV bouquet''.

TopTV says its currently negotiating a replacement third party channel and says the loss of Current TV is ''beyond its control''.

''The company's content team has identified a suitable replacement channel. Once it has concluded the necessary negotiations and obtained authorisation from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) an announcement in this regard will be made.''

Current TV on TopTV closing down on 11 March; final documentary will be Shed Your Tears and Walk Away.

Current TV (TopTV 406) which will be closing down on 11 March and which means that the South African pay TV operator TopTV will lose another channel, will be going off the air with  the documentary Shed Your Tears and Walk Away as its final documentary.

''We are awaiting feedback from Current TV,'' TopTV tells me, with the pay TV operator waiting to get final word or the future or demise of Current TV's feed from the United Kingdom which is what South African viewers are seeing here.

Current TV has named 11 March as the end of its transmission period after which the broadcast of the channel will cease. It will be the third channel within months no longer being provided by TopTV after the channel providers close because of money issues.

''We have been overwhelmed by the passion of our supporters, viewers and producers who are flooding our message boards and others with their dismay about Current's likely closure,” said Current UK managing director Jane Mote in a statement.

''The depth of anger, disbelief and determination will ensure that the fight for democracy and plurality for independent film-makers will live on and grow long after Current has gone.''

Current TV's final documentary deliberately has an ironic title - Shed Your Tears and Walk Away. The film is set in the small Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge and follows a former heroin addict as he comes to terms with his own mortality.

TopTV in discussions with Current TV set to close down on 11 March, to look at 'possible alternative solutions' to continue to broadcast.

TopTV just issued a statement regarding Current TV (TopTV 406)  which TV with Thinus reported yesterday RIGHT HERE, will be closing down by 11 March.

''The future of one of the channels currently being broadcast on TopTV's channel 406, Current TV, is at risk following the channel's carriage agreement with BSkyB in the United Kingdom not being renewed,'' says TopTV, confirming what was reported yesterday.

''As BSkyB is the channel's biggest broadcast client, this will affect their ability to maintain operations, which will in turn impact on the channel being available to the South Africa market,'' says TopTV.

''TopTV is currently in discussions with the channel's management to discuss various options and possible alternative solutions to continue to broadcast the channel. Current TV is also considering other business offers at the moment,'' says TopTV.

BREAKING. TopTV facing the loss of another channel as Current TV is set to be shutting down as soon as mid-March.

The South African pay TV operator TopTV is set to lose another TV channel it launched with great fanfare - this time Current TV - as the struggling news channel's operations in Britain is set to shut down as soon as mid-March.

TopTV has still not replaced the Hi Nolly and One Music channels which was part of the TopTV bouquet but disappeared in November when the provider HiTV in Nigeria imploded under debt. TopTV promised replacement channels but haven't yet done so. The loss of Current TV (TopTV 406) will further weaken TopTV's bouquet offering.

When TopTV launched in May 2010 it launched Current TV - a youth-schewing news channel focused on user-generated content started by Al Gore in America - as one of the channels on the bouquet with great fanfare. Al Gore attending TopTV's launch party and did a press conference.

Current TV has a London operations and a separate British generated feed of Current TV which is the one South Africans are seeing on TopTV. Current TV is shown in Britain on the BSkyB pay TV platform and BSkyB is not renewing Current TV's contract due to low viewership and underperformance. According to Sky, Current TV is ''one of the least watched TV channels''.

''Despite investing significantly in Current TV since its UK launch in 2006, the channel simply hasn't made the impact with our customers that we hoped for. That is why we've decided not to renew our retail relationship,'' says Rob Webster, BSkyB's commercial director in a statement.

Current TV says that without the income from the BSkyB carriage deal, Current TV will have to close which is effective shutting the channel down. Current TV has told its 23 staff members, contractors and programme suppliers that Current TV could close as soon as the middle of March. ''It is looking likely we will have to close on 11 March,'' says Jane Mote, Current TV managing director.

In a statement Current TV says ''Obviously the entire team at Current is devastated by this news. However we'd like to thank you for your support and belief in independent television. We hope that you will continue to enjoy our unique output until we close.''

''Sky is shutting down an intelligent alternative to mass market programming,'' said Joel Hyatt, chief executive of Current Media, which owns Current UK, in a statement.

TopTV didn't immediately respond to media enquiries made regarding the future of Current TV on the pay TV operator's platform but said it's working on a reponse.

Current TV makes Sunday nights at 23:00 its premiere timeslot for feature length documentaries; new doccie to visit small British town.

Current TV (TopTV 406) has now dedicated Sunday nights at 23:00 (South African time) as the premiere timeslot for feature length documentaries.

Current TV has picked up a film about a northern English town that will be shown in this new dedicated Sunday night documentaries timeslot.

Shed Your Tears and Walk Away looks beneath the surface of an apparently thriving market town but director Jez Lewis returns to his home town to find drink, drugs and suicide are destroying the once peaceful town. The film is produced by Bungalow Town Productions. Shed Your Tears and Walk Away will show sometime in February 2012 in this new Sunday night timeslot on Current TV.

Current TV will also retain its Monday night midnight timeslot for premieres of films of various lengths, such as 30 minutes, one hour or features as well.

BREAKING. Current TV's CEO Mark Rosenthal leaving the youth news network; Joel Hyatt returning to Al Gore's network.

Mark Rosenthal, CEO of  Current TV (TopTV 406) is leaving Al Gore's youth news network and will be replaced by Joel Hyatt who returns to his CEO role at the struggling channel.

Mark Rosenthal was was previously COO and president of MTV succeeded Joel Hyatt as CEO in 2009 after Joel Hyatt resigned in 2009. Now Joel Hyatt returns who founded Current TV with Al Gore.

A (NON) programming note: South African viewers WON'T see the new Countdown with Keith Olbermann starting tonight on Current TV.

You're reading it here first.

Although the new Countdown with Keith Olbermann starts tonight on Current TV (TopTV 406) after Keith Olbermann ended his show on MSNBC (TopTV 410), I can reveal that South African viewers will not be seeing it.

Countdown with Keith Olbermann starts tonight on Current TV in America as a new weeknight show. However TopTV carries the UK/Ireland channel feed of Current TV which is what get's transmitted to South Africa. Although TopTV didn't respond to media enquiries about it, Countdown with Keith Olbermann is not a part - at this stage - of the the U/Ireland channel feed, which means that the show won't be seen in South Africa.

BREAKING. The new Countdown with Keith Olbermann set to start Tuesday 21 June on Current TV in South Africa.

Current TV (TopTV 406) has announced that Keith Olbermann who left MSNBC in January and announced in February that he's joining Current TV, will start his new show (titled exactly the same as his old one) Countdown with Keith Olbermann on Tuesday 21 June at 02:00 (South African time) on the channel.

''Current TV will premiere its much-anticipated week-nightly commentary show with Keith Olbermann on 20 June [USA time],'' the news channel says in a press statement.

''The show, to be called Countdown with Keith Olbermann marks the return to the airwaves for Olbermann, one of journalism's most provocative and outspoken voices, on independently-owned Current TV, which was founded in 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt and is now distributed in more than 75 million households around the world.''

''The show will combine familiar and popular features with some new elements that we can't wait to unveil,'' says Current TV. ''We're creating a great platform for Keith's style, which includes a very sophisticated digital presence for him — that we think will appeal to his very enthusiastic and active following. The show will also appeal to new viewers tuning into Keith for the first time.''

Current TV announces several new documentary series for 2011 from following wildfire firefighters to predicting natural disasters.

Current TV (TopTV 406) unveiled several new programmes that the current affairs channel will be showing over the next couple of months.

In a one hour special Man Vs. Earth that Current TV plans to show in April explorer Sam Branson investigates the cutting-edge tactics scientists are using not only to predict, but prevent natural disasters - from diverting hurricanes to quelling volcanoes.

From July this year Current TV will premiere 50 Greatest Documentaries which will be counting down the best documentary programmes over the past 3 decades, and show a lot of them as well. Headlines that shocked America will also start from July and look back at some of the biggest headlines and shocking stories in American history over the past 20 years.

Smoke Jumpers will start in September and chronicles the elite team of special forces fighting wildfires - battling flames and hanging out together afterwards.

ALSO READ: Former MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann joining Current TV.

BREAKING. Former MSNBC news anchor Keith Olbermann joining Current TV as chief news officer; will present a new weekday show.

The former MSNBC news anchor Keith Olbermann who made a shocking exit from MSNBC (TopTV 410) three weeks ago is joining the former American vice president Al Gore's Current TV (TopTV 406) news channel as its chief news officer and will present a new weekday hour long show.

The new show will start later this year. ''Keith Olbermann is a gifted thinker, an amazing talent and a powerful communicator, and having him tap Current as his new home is exciting and very much in line with the core vision we founded this network on: To engage viewers with smart, provocative and timely programming,'' says Al Gore, chairman and co-founder of Current. ''In a world where there are fewer and fewer opportunities to hear truly distinct, unfettered voices on television, we are delighted to provide Keith with the independent platform and freedom that Current can, and does uniquely offer.''

''Nothing is more vital to a free America than a free media, and nothing is more vital to my concept of a free media than news produced independently of corporate interference," Keith Olbermann says in a statement.

BREAKING. Current TV to debut 2 new shows in 2011, a doccie series about high school football and a sci-fi drama set. . . in a space bar!

Current TV (TopTV 406) has announced that it will introduce two new series in 2011: one new documentary series following the American football season in America, as well as the channel's first-ever sci-fi drama series set in a bar that travels through time and space.

4th and Forever will debut on Current TV in April 2011 and follows the 2010 American football season as seen through the eyes of pupils in Long Beach, California as they battle poverty, education and gangs at the Polytechnic High School.

Then there's Bar Karma that will debut on Current TV in February as a half hour science fiction drama with viewers who can now determine everything from the characters and storylines to even the photos that will be hanging inside the bar. Current TV calls Bar Karma a ''mystical watering hole that travels through time and space'' with a bar tender who's 20 000 years old. The bar is visited by various characters who get help, advice and a drink along the way.

FIRST LOOK! Promo clip of the Current TV channel on TopTV.

You're seeing it here first.

Current TV (TopTV 406) is launching today, Saturday, May 1, as one of the TV channels on the new TopTV satellite TV subscription service in South Africa. I can exclusively show you this one minute promo clip of Current TV, which give you a bit of an idea what Current TV on the TopTV platform will be about.

This clip was show to TV critics and writers at a press conference yesterday with Al Gore, chairman of Current TV, who spoke about his news channel. Current TV is the fastest growing satellite TV news channel in the world, making use of, and broadcasting, user content generated news.

Current TV's Al Gore: ''We're encouraging South African content creators to tell their stories.''

You're reading it here first.

Current TV (TopTV 406) is launching tomorrow on the new TopTV pay TV service in South Africa. TopTV's feed of Current TV will be coming from America through Britain, but Current TV wants South African stories. ''We're encouraging young creators of content here in South Africa to make videos and to tell their stories and to connect with a global audience,'' says Current TV chairman Al Gore. ''Join the global conversation through the very powerful medium of television''.

''Our content is being made by young people all over the world and now Current TV is, thanks to TopTV, available here in South Africa,'' said Al Gore at a press conference I attended this morning in Johannesburg. ''You can contact us by going to www.current.com and upload videos that we then broadcast. The heart of Current TV is citizen journalism and investigative journalism. I need not say how important it is for our global civilization and for democracies like South Africa to have vigorous investigative journalism.''

''What is unique about Current TV is that content creators in South Africa can join the conversation of democracy by the means of the medium of television. I look forward to the day when young citizen journalists and investigative journalists in South Africa will be regularly connecting with a global audience and a large audience in South Africa and telling stories that no-one else is telling.''

BREAKING. ''Even one day before TopTV launched, the former monopoly was forced to lower their prices.'' - Al Gore

You're reading it here first.

''We're very proud to be a part of the TopTV family. TopTV is now introducing a form of competition to the pay TV market which hasn't been present in South Africa before.'' So said Al Gore, the former American vice president and chairman of Current TV (TopTV 406) at a press conference this morning for Current TV in Johannesburg that I attended.

''What you will find as a result, is the lowering of prices for consumers.'' As Al Gore said this, at the very same time MultiChoice was making THIS announcement about starting a brand new cheaper DStv Lite bouquet at R99. 

''The effective monopoly in pay TV in South Africa – and I'm not criticizing them at all, it's just the way they pursued their business plan – illustrates why competition is good for consumers,'' said Al Gore. ''When there is no competition, prices are artificially high. Even in anticipation of competition – even one day before TopTV launched, the former monopoly was forced to lower their prices. I predict that you will see prices being forced to come down more.''

BREAKING. TV special, Captive in North Korea, to air in May on TopTV's Current TV.

Current TV (TopTV 406) - one of the news and information channels that will be included on the TopTV satellite service of On Digital Media (ODM) that launches commercially on Saturday - will broadcast an arresting documentary special on 19 May, entitled Captive in North Korea.

TopTV's launch is just in time for South Africans who, with Captive in North Korea, will be able to watch the story of Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee who were held captive by the North Koreans for more than four months early last year. They were filming an episode for the fourth season of the Current TV documentary show Vanguard that South Africans will now also be be able to see. Both were sentenced to 12 years of hard labour before the former American president Bill Clinton negotiated their release.

Current TV was started by the former American vice president Al Gore who will be in South Africa on Thursday evening for the official TopTV launch party. I will be there too and I have a press conference with Al Gore on Friday morning after I broke the news of his upcoming attendance RIGHT HERE.