NEW YORK – (June 18, 2013) – Al Jazeera America, the new American news channel that will launch this year, announced today that veteran journalist Bob Wheelock has been named senior executive producer. Wheelock is moving to Al Jazeera America from Al Jazeera English where he has served as executive producer of newsgathering for the Americas.
“Bob Wheelock has been an invaluable member of the Al Jazeera English news team and a critical member of the Al Jazeera America launch team,” said Ehab Al Shihabi, executive director of Al Jazeera’s international operations and the senior executive developing the new channel. “We know from Bob’s work at AJ English that he is absolutely committed to fact-based, in-depth journalism and that’s exactly what Al Jazeera America will be providing every day to its viewers.”
Wheelock is a 25-year veteran of ABC News where he served as a senior broadcast producer for ABC News’ special events unit and as the Washington, D.C.-based senior producer for Weekend News, This Week With David Brinkley and Good Morning America. Prior to ABC, Wheelock worked at NBC News as both a senior producer for the Today Show and the London bureau chief.
Wheelock has won four Emmy Awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and two Peabody Awards. He has covered some of the most important and momentous events in recent history such as the September 11 attacks on the United States, the election of President Barack Obama, Pope John Paul II’s funeral, President Ronald Reagan’s funeral and the Iraq War.
“It has been an exciting opportunity to help launch Al Jazeera America and to help select the team that will be in front of and behind the camera when the new channel launches,” said Wheelock. “I’m truly looking forward to bringing Al Jazeera’s unbiased, in depth journalism to Al Jazeera America’s audience.”
See more press releases from Al Jazeera America here.
