Al Jazeera America to shut down in April

The broadcast network will cease TV and digital operations by April 30. In conjunction with that move, its parent network will expand its worldwide digital arm into the United States.

In a statement, Al Jazeera said the move would serve “today’s 24-hour digitally focused audience”:

As audiences increasingly turn to multiple platforms, including mobile devices, for news and information, this expansion will allow U.S. and non-U.S. consumers alike to access the network’s journalism and content wherever and whenever they want. By expanding its digital content and distribution services to now include the U.S., the network will be better positioned to innovate and compete in an overwhelmingly digital world to serve today’s 24-hour digitally focused audience.

An announcement on Al Jazeera’s website read, “… The economic landscape of the media environment has driven its strategic decision to wind down its operations [in the United States] and conclude its service.”

Al Jazeera America’s chief exec, Al Anstey, wrote in a memo to his staff: “Our business model is simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges in the U.S. media marketplace.”