Al Jazeera

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Al-Jazeera is considering selling its shares to the public, according to a report Sunday.


Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Arab satellite channel gained notoriety outside of the Middle East with its coverage of the most recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

State-sponsored Al-Jazeera came into prominence for its broadcasts of messages believed to come from Osama bin Laden.

"I can confirm that the board of directors has commissioned a study into the viability of turning Al-Jazeera into a private enterprise by inviting investors," Reuters quoted a spokesperson for the state-sponsored Arabic satellite channel as saying. "This could entail a flotation at some stage."

Al-Jazeera's chief news editor, Ahmed El Sheikh, told the German newspaper Handelsblatt that the Qatar-based news channel's shares would be sold on the Doha stock exchange in two to three years, according to Reuters.

El Sheikh also reportedly told the paper that Al-Jazeera was still not profitable but aimed to be so before the IPO.

Al-Jazeera was launched in 1996 and has more than 30 bureaus around the world, according to its Web site.

The channel is planning to extend its coverage, El Sheikh reportedly said, with a documentary channel in the next three to four months, and next year, an English channel and a channel aimed at children.

A spokesperson for Al-Jazeera could not be reached for comment Sunday to confirm the reports.