Lesson plan

Current TV

Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a smaller stake. The channel started out with user-generated content made by viewers in 15-minute blocks. In its final years, the channel later switched formats to become an independent news network aimed at progressive politics. Neither format brought the success that Gore and Hyatt had desired. On January 2, 2013, it was announced that Current TV had been sold by Gore and Hyatt to Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera Media Network. AJMN stated it planned to shut down the Current TV channel, retain its off-air staff, and to launch a new New York City-based channel named Al Jazeera America (using Current's distribution network). Current had operated in the same way with Newsworld International, a predecessor to Current. They also said they planned to scrap the channel's programming lineup and brand. Al Jazeera America replaced Current TV on August 20, 2013, at 3:00 pm Eastern, 2:00 pm Central time. The former headquarters would become the home of Al Jazeera's all-online digital channel AJ+.

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Article summary

Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a smaller stake. The channel started out with user-generated content made by viewers in 15-minute blocks. In its final years, the channel later switched formats to become an independent news network aimed at progressive politics. Neither format brought the success that Gore and Hyatt had desired. On January 2, 2013, it was announced that Current TV had been sold by Gore and Hyatt to Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera Media Network. AJMN stated it planned to shut down the Current TV channel, retain its off-air staff, and to launch a new New York City-based channel named Al Jazeera America (using Current's distribution network). Current had operated in the same way with Newsworld International, a predecessor to Current. They also said they planned to scrap the channel's programming lineup and brand. Al Jazeera America replaced Current TV on August 20, 2013, at 3:00 pm Eastern, 2:00 pm Central time. The former headquarters would become the home of Al Jazeera's all-online digital channel AJ+.

Key claims

  1. date of foundation: 2002 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. employees: 300 employees — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of foundation is "2002". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the employees is "300 employees". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377394377

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.