Welcome to Al Jazeera International's commissioning extranet site.
Al Jazeera International is a 24-hour news channel. It also broadcasts thousands of hours of factual programming with detailed features and analysis, documentaries, live debates, current affairs, business and sports.
For programme makers it is an unequalled opportunity to produce people-driven stories for an audience in all parts of the world. For the audience it brings an intimacy which has never been attempted by a global broadcaster.
The channel is the first global HD High Definition television network. From four broadcast centres around the world, Doha, Kuala Lumpur, Washington and London, Al Jazeera International programme executives will commission programming from the best independents and freelancers.
Al Jazeera International Programme Department will not have legions of in-house producers. Instead we want to make the best freelancers and independents a part of the organisation. To enable this we have created this extranet commissioning system which will allow and encourage journalists worldwide to pitch stories and receive rapid decisions.
Each programme is dependent on contributions from our broadcast centres, which are themselves dependent on gathering ideas from their quarter of the world. Washington will commission throughout the Americas, London through Europe and South Africa, Doha through the Middle East, Pakistan, India and North Africa, Kuala Lumpur through China, across South-East Asia to Australia.
Underlying all this is the channel’s mission to explain the world through the eyes of real people. From the specific to the general, the camera on location to the debate in the studio. But witnesses, on camera, come first.
If you want to be part of this commitment then register as a supplier by clicking “Register” at the side of the screen. The registration process is how we can get to know you before we do any business. Not all applicants will be invited to submit factual material for the channel. We will want to see evidence of an acceptable track record with leading broadcasters.
However, AJI wants to encourage new talent, and we will be prepared to consider registrations from those with strong visual ideas and good access even though their actual broadcast experience is limited. These would mostly come from areas of the world where the factual television industry is developing.
If you are an existing member, please login using the same menu.
As well as accepting pitches from you we will use the data on record to invite members to pitch certain briefs as they arise, so it's a two-way process. We will publish regular on-line updates featuring some of our best programming and advising of changes in commissioning requirements.
However, please note that although we aim to deal with your pitches as soon as possible it may not be read by a commissioner for some time. You should also note that we will inevitably receive pitches on similar ideas.
We hope that this commissioning site will be clear and swift and will not test the patience of talented, hard-pressed journalists.
Good luck with the registration and pitching processes.