More than a million Hong Kong households now have access to international news channel Al-Jazeera English, with the network launching on Now TV yesterday.
The channel became available free on PCCW's Now TV Channel 325 from 7pm. Al-Jazeera English has been available on Cable TV since January, but the decision to broadcast on Now TV will substantially increase the number of households with access to the network.
Launched as an Arabic news channel in 1996, Al-Jazeera has its headquarters in Doha, Qatar.
Al-Jazeera English was launched in November 2006, becoming the first English-language network to be based in the Middle East.
The network's director of global distribution, Phil Lawrie, said the English channel would now be available on the two primary pay-TV stations in Hong Kong.
'Anecdotally, there's been a positive reception,' he said of the city's reaction to the January launch.