Two amazing events occurred simultaneously the other night.
At 2PM on the morning of May 1, the world had already learned 2.5 hours earlier that Osama bin Ladin, the global promoter of terrorism had been killed.
A few of us daytime wage earners were awake at the time to witness the events on TV as they occurred.
I was among the lucky few!
And, of course, there was the standard fare 'lineups' of CNN and Fox TV with their up-to-the minute on the scene broadcasting.
The newcomer on the scene was CSPAN-1 a surprise 'first-timer' offering live coverage--of an unusual sort. No one associates C-Span as being in the 'business' of having a host of live reporters and commentators on the 'scene'; but this was what transpired!
How did this come about?
C-Span offered a simulcast from Al Jazeera TV of the Obama killing .
The network has been virtually banned from US airwaves for the first 15 years of its existence (it is available on US TV in only in 3 American cities: Washington, DC, Burlington, Vermont and Toldedo, Ohio.) So, this is the the first time that the network, which prides itself on presenting both sides of an issue, was seen on national TV.
Supposedly, one should be able to watch the live feed on the internet, but the night in question, I only got a blank screen!
Like CNN and Fox News, Al Jazeera had reporters on hand for live coverage of the crowds gathered at Times Square and in front of the Capitol Building.
In addition, two correspondents stood out: Simaira Khan who gave us the terrorist roots of Osama from his embracing Afghan liberation from Soviet Occupation in 1979, formation of Al Qaeda, masterming the 9/11 attacks until the present.
Then a live report from Ahmed Rashad in Madrid: Mr. Rashad is an expert on the Taliban.
The network has been "constantly demonized by the American media" said Glenn Greenwald in the wikipedia article.
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