He owned a TV Station
One of the interesting facts about Al Gore is that he owned a TV Station. Current TV was a television channel in the United States that aired from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior to founding INdTV, Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, together with Ronald Burkle, each had significant ownership in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each had a lesser share in the company.
The channel began as a user-generated content channel, with content created by fans in 15-minute increments. Later, the station changed formats to become an independent news network focused on progressive politics. Neither format was as successful as Gore and Hyatt had hoped.
On January 2, 2013, Gore and Hyatt announced the sale of Current TV to Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera Media Network. AJMN announced plans to close the Current TV channel, keep its off-air staff, and start Al Jazeera America (using Current's distribution network) in New York City. Current TV functioned in the same manner as its predecessor, Newsworld International. They also stated that they intended to discontinue the channel's programming schedule and identity. On August 20, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 p.m. Central time, Al Jazeera America replaced Current TV. The previous headquarters will house Al Jazeera's all-online digital channel AJ+.
Gore was criticized when, in 2012, he sold his television channel Current TV for roughly $100 million to Al Jazeera, a media company sponsored by the government of Qatar, a country that is heavily reliant on revenue from the fossil fuel industry. Gore has won several honors, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Current Television in 2007.
