Three years after its November 2006 launch, Al Jazeera English has received approval from the CRTC for cable and satellite distribution in Canada. The 24-hour international news and current affairs channel is a division of the Qatar-based Arabic-language satellite service and is broadcast in 100 countries to an estimated 180 million households. AJE claims to have nearly 70 bureaus worldwide.

Tony Burman, managing editor of AJE and former editor-in-chief of CBC News, said AJE is negotiating with a number of Canadian cable and satellite companies for carriage, adding that the launch of a Canadian bureau will be pegged to the channel’s launch in Canada.

Citing a target of January or February 2010, he said, ‘We hope [Canadian carriers] will be as impatient to get Al Jazeera English into Canadian homes as we believe Canadians are impatient to see it.’

In issuing its approval, the federal broadcast regulator said the submissions were overwhelmingly positive, with over 2,600 parties filing comments in support and approximately 40 in opposition. The provenance of AJE’s parent company and its maverick reputation made some groups wary of potential bias against Israel.

Seven groups, including the Canadian Jewish Congress and B’nai Brith Canada, offered general comments to the CRTC, neither advocating in favor nor against the service. The CJC called on the CRTC to monitor AJE closely and to ensure it remains independent of its Arabic-language counterpart and the Qatari government.