By Kevin McCauley
Al Jazeera, the Arab satellite TV network, is negotiating with Time Warner and Comcast to air its children's channel on their U.S. cable properties, according to a report in Fast Company.
The goal is debut an English-dubbed channel here by 2012. Al Jazeera launched an Arab-language kid station in 2005, featuring a mix of syndicated and original program.
Viewing fare includes "Saladin," a cartoon show about the Crusades presented in the viewpoint of the famous Muslim warrior, and "Still Alive in Gaza," a documentary about Palestinian kids living in the Gaza Strip.
Fast Company reports that Al Jazeera Children's Channel "takes a distinctively high-minded approach to programming," sharing the "same 'edutainment' values found on PBS and the BBC."
The channel is targeted at children ages seven to 15, while a sister network, Baraem TV, goes after pre-schoolers.
AJCC general manager Mahmoud Bouneb doesn't believe his station will face the same U.S. distribution problems as the news is English version of Al Jazeera.
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