Al-Jazeera English tackles staff disquiet
Jane England | Monday, 2 June 2008
FT Syndication Service
DOHA: Al-Jazeera's English-language television news channel has given its new managing director what looks like an ambitious make-or-break mission.
Dogged by dissatisfaction and high-profile defections, the Qatar-based international news service has been haemorrhaging staff. Tony Burman, a former editor in chief of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, has been drawn out of retirement to come to the rescue.
About three weeks into the job, Mr Burman is boldly talking about a new al-Jazeera English newspaper and a big drive to broadcast in the US market. The former news and documentary producer must first, however, overcome serious internal problems.
Only last April Nigel Parsons, the channel's founding managing director, dismissed insistent media suggestions that it was imploding. But, 18 months after he launched the news channel, Mr Parsons has found himself shunted sideways to head business development in favour of Mr Burman.
The list of staff ending their contracts before the news channel's second anniversary is growing. These include the recent defections of David Marash, a Washington-based anchor who left citing "mission creep"; Jo Burgin, a former head of planning, who is bringing a case in a London employment tribunal, claiming discrimination; Steve Clark, a former head of news and Ms Burgin's husband, who quit in March; and Maire Devine, the editor of the channel's Everywoman programme who resigned "on principle" when her show was axed.
In his Doha office suite near the swirling traffic on TV Roundabout, Mr Burman is determined. "My track record is as a problem solver. While I don't doubt there are [internal] issues I also don't doubt they are resolvable."
One senior insider, who declined to be named, says inadequate employment laws in Qatar have allowed the channel to function with an ineffective administration system and incompetent managers.
"Patience, strong shoulders and the ability to act quickly, that's what he'll need in this role and he seems to have all that," says another staff member, who declined to be named but was impressed with Mr Burman's inaugural presentation to staff.
The English channel reaches more than 110m homes, representing an increase of 10m since the beginning of the year.
The channel does not issue financial statements because it is owned by the Qatari government.
And, still festering is the network's failure to heal the open sore created by remuneration disparities between the staff of al-Jazeera Arabic and their English channel counterparts. In turn, al-Jazeera English staff resent the erosion of packages that lured them to the fledgling international news service.
"If people in al-Jazeera including myself are saying there should be a coming together of this extended family, there is also the view that people in a family should be treated equally," Mr Burman says.
"It is challenging to any company to make the decision as to whether you pull up the group that is arguably underpaid, or whether you lower the pay of the supposedly overpaid group. The answer generally lies in the middle and it lies with future employees because clearly commitments to staff are important to keep."
Mr Burman will be party to a reconciliation of sorts between the al-Jazeera siblings. Sue Phillips, a former London bureau chief, is overseeing a process that will see the channels cohabit and share resources such as finances, equipment and human resources. Editorial independence will remain intact.
Mr Burman's star will undoubtedly rise if he can resolve internal frictions, but it will be his ability to win over North American audiences that will confirm his status. He is confident that this goal is attainable within six months.
He must overcome enduring conceptions that the network is sympathetic to terrorists and screens beheadings - something it has never done.
DOHA: Al-Jazeera's English-language television news channel has given its new managing director what looks like an ambitious make-or-break mission.
Dogged by dissatisfaction and high-profile defections, the Qatar-based international news service has been haemorrhaging staff. Tony Burman, a former editor in chief of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, has been drawn out of retirement to come to the rescue.
About three weeks into the job, Mr Burman is boldly talking about a new al-Jazeera English newspaper and a big drive to broadcast in the US market. The former news and documentary producer must first, however, overcome serious internal problems.
Only last April Nigel Parsons, the channel's founding managing director, dismissed insistent media suggestions that it was imploding. But, 18 months after he launched the news channel, Mr Parsons has found himself shunted sideways to head business development in favour of Mr Burman.
The list of staff ending their contracts before the news channel's second anniversary is growing. These include the recent defections of David Marash, a Washington-based anchor who left citing "mission creep"; Jo Burgin, a former head of planning, who is bringing a case in a London employment tribunal, claiming discrimination; Steve Clark, a former head of news and Ms Burgin's husband, who quit in March; and Maire Devine, the editor of the channel's Everywoman programme who resigned "on principle" when her show was axed.
In his Doha office suite near the swirling traffic on TV Roundabout, Mr Burman is determined. "My track record is as a problem solver. While I don't doubt there are [internal] issues I also don't doubt they are resolvable."
One senior insider, who declined to be named, says inadequate employment laws in Qatar have allowed the channel to function with an ineffective administration system and incompetent managers.
"Patience, strong shoulders and the ability to act quickly, that's what he'll need in this role and he seems to have all that," says another staff member, who declined to be named but was impressed with Mr Burman's inaugural presentation to staff.
The English channel reaches more than 110m homes, representing an increase of 10m since the beginning of the year.
The channel does not issue financial statements because it is owned by the Qatari government.
And, still festering is the network's failure to heal the open sore created by remuneration disparities between the staff of al-Jazeera Arabic and their English channel counterparts. In turn, al-Jazeera English staff resent the erosion of packages that lured them to the fledgling international news service.
"If people in al-Jazeera including myself are saying there should be a coming together of this extended family, there is also the view that people in a family should be treated equally," Mr Burman says.
"It is challenging to any company to make the decision as to whether you pull up the group that is arguably underpaid, or whether you lower the pay of the supposedly overpaid group. The answer generally lies in the middle and it lies with future employees because clearly commitments to staff are important to keep."
Mr Burman will be party to a reconciliation of sorts between the al-Jazeera siblings. Sue Phillips, a former London bureau chief, is overseeing a process that will see the channels cohabit and share resources such as finances, equipment and human resources. Editorial independence will remain intact.
Mr Burman's star will undoubtedly rise if he can resolve internal frictions, but it will be his ability to win over North American audiences that will confirm his status. He is confident that this goal is attainable within six months.
He must overcome enduring conceptions that the network is sympathetic to terrorists and screens beheadings - something it has never done.