Pan-Arab Al-Jazeera buys US cable channel

With its purchase of left-leaning Current TV, Pan-Arab news channel Al-Jazeera has fulfilled a long-held quest to reach tens of millions of US homes. But its new audience immediately got a little smaller.

The nation's second-largest TV operator, Time Warner Cable Inc., dropped Current after the deal was confirmed Wednesday, a sign that the channel will have an uphill climb to expand its reach.

"Our agreement with Current has been terminated and we will no longer be carrying the service. We are removing the service as quickly as possible," the company said.

Gore confirmed the sale Wednesday, saying in a statement that Al-Jazeera shares Current TV's mission "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."

Current TV's spokesman Stan Collender said, "This is a pure business decision that is based on recognized demand," he said.

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