Al Jazeera Network has appointed Al Anstey the managing director of Al Jazeera English (AJE), the award-winning international news channel that currently broadcasts to more than 100 countries around the world.

Al Anstey will lead the channel in its next phase of evolution and will be responsible for overseeing its day-to-day operations across its 65 international bureaus, a statement said.

Al Anstey was one of the founders of AJE and was a key member of the channel’s start up team.  He ran AJE's news department after the launch of the channel in November 2006 until earlier this year when he took on the position of director of media development for the network.

“As Al Jazeera continues to grow, Al’s achievements within the Network and his proven leadership style will help to ensure that Al Jazeera English solidifies its place as one of the world’s most influential international news outlets,” said Wadah Khanfar, director general of Al Jazeera Network.

“I’m confident that Al’s experience in the newsroom at Al Jazeera English as well as his success in growing the Al Jazeera brand globally will further propel the channel in its mandate of journalism of depth in international news for our audiences across the world.”

“I'm delighted to take on my new role in AJE, a channel that has gained international acclaim and worldwide recognition as an invaluable resource for international news,” Al Anstey said.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues at Al Jazeera to build upon the many journalistic achievements and to grow the channel by expanding our resources around the world, breaking into new markets and exploring new platforms and technologies to bring our content to additional audiences,” he added.

Prior to joining Al Jazeera in 2006, Anstey served as head of foreign news at ITN in the UK after many years in the field as senior foreign editor. – TradeArabia News Service