Al-Jazeera also plans to launch an English-language channel
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The leading Arab satellite television station, al-Jazeera, launches a new channel that will broadcast conferences live without editing or commentary.
A station spokesman told the BBC the channel, al-Jazeera Live, is the first of its kind in the Arab world.
He said that it will cover conferences and focusing on political, social and cultural issues.
Al-Jazeera also plans to launch an English-language news station, a documentary and a children's channel.
Al-Jazeera's Jihad Ballout compared the station to the American channel, C-Span, which shows the workings of the US Congress live.
Vague on programming
But BBC world media correspondent Sebastian Usher said Mr Ballout was vague about what exactly the new station would be showing.
The channel will broadcas al-Jazeera's own Television Production Festival, which opens in Qatar on 18 April.
Some Arab media analysts have suggested that this is the main reason for launching the new channel.
Undoubtedly, our correspondent says, al-Jazeera Live is likely to cause fewer ripples than the English-language news station that's due to be launched by the end of this year.
All this comes as the Qatari government - which supports al-Jazeera financially - pursues plans to privatise the station.
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