Kazakh billionaire to launch int'l pro-Israeli TV channel
"A staunch Kazakh supporter of Israel announced earlier this week that he plans to set up a pro- Israeli television news channel that he hopes will become an Israel-focused version of the Qatari news channel Al-Jazeera.
Alexander Mashevich's decision comes after perceiving what he termed constant "negative information about Israel," and "the need for accurate news on the country," The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported on Thursday.
Mashevich holds Israeli citizenship and is considered a significant philanthropist, in addition to being a strong Israel supporter.
An expert in journalism, communication, and Judaism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was doubtful about the prospects of the venture garnering enough of a viewing audience to stay afloat.
"I don't really see the monetary interest in this venture and I don't think it will end up being a success," Prof. Menahem Blondheim told Xinhua on Thursday. "Because the sector that might be interested in the TV channel would be very small if we take into account that there are only 13 million Jews in the world," he said.
Blondheim, an associate professor of American studies and communication, believes that the likely core audience for such a news channel would essentially be politically right-of-center.
"If you are going to openly support Israel like he says he does, " Blondheim said, "you are losing a big chunk of the world audience."
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