Patrick Drahi’s cable conglomerate Altice NV is launching i24 News, a new 24/7 news channel in the U.S.
i24 News set up its U.S. headquarters in New York City and will also have a separate bureau in Washington, D.C., both of which Altice said will be staffed with local journalists.
The new channel will launch on Feb. 13 and, unsurprisingly, its first distribution partner is Altice USA, the company formed after Altice acquired both Cablevision and Suddenlink. Altice is promising more details on i24’s programming and content will be available in the coming weeks.
“What began as a dream of our founder to create a source for news where debate and multiple perspectives were welcome, has become i24 News – a well-respected, differentiated global news organization with a track record of journalistic excellence around the world,” said Dexter Goei, president of Altice N.V. and, chairman and CEO of Altice USA, in a statement. “Content is core to Altice’s global strategy, and this is an exciting step as we bring i24 News to the U.S. and provide refreshing, balanced content that will offer a new perspective on domestic and international news that consumers cannot watch anywhere else.”
“In a society where everything has global implications – from politics and healthcare to education and security—i24 News in the U.S. will provide a new voice as it melds different points of view with everyday developments,” said Frank Melloul, CEO of i24 News, in a statement. “I look forward to shaping i24 News to become the go-to-source for news and current events analysis on the issues of most importance to U.S. viewers, and am honored to provide a new model for showcasing how U.S., Middle East and international news can come together every day.”
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The expansion for i24 News, which is globally headquartered in Tel Aviv, comes four years after Altice founded it. In addition to i24, Altice also owns and operates other news channels including BFM TV in France and News 12 Networks in New York.