Current TV co-founders Joel Hyatt and Al Gore seemingly attempted to help insulate themselves from criticism for selling their TV network to Al-Jazeera by invoking the name of former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell. Only, the story they tell about Powell’s relationship with Al-Jazeera is not true, a spokeswoman for the general tells The Daily Caller.
“Colin Powell told Al [Gore] that Al-Jazeera is the only cable news network he watches,” Hyatt wrote in a Current TV staff email Wednesday announcing the sale of the network.
But in a statement to TheDC, Powell spokeswoman Peggy Cifrino said the general watches many cable news networks — not just Al-Jazeera.
“General Powell watches a number of foreign news channels to include Al-Jazeera America. He also watches U.S. cable channels,” she wrote.
In follow up email, Cifrino clarified that she meant Al-Jazeera English, not Al-Jazeera America, which is what Current TV is slated to become.
It was announced Wednesday that the Qatari-based news network purchased Current TV for a reported $500 million. Gore and Hyatt will join the advisory board of the newly created Al-Jazeera America.
Critics of the Al-Jazeera’s English and Arabic networks say they have anti-Israel and anti-American biases.
Current TV did not return TheDC’s request for comment on a number of issues regarding its sale to Al-Jazeera.