Timely look at Arabic news network

Amid the bombing of Baghdad, a group of Iraqis hears rumors of two downed coalition pilots and sets out on a search along the banks of the Tigris. A television news network latches onto the story, broadcasting live pictures of the hunt and labeling them “exclusive.” But before long, rivals pick up the feed without permission -- enraging network executives.

“Is Majid there?” the chief of news gathering asks frantically, figuring that putting a reporter in the picture will discourage other channels from using it. “Get him in front of the camera, now! Right away!”

It’s a scenario that could have played out at CNN, Fox, MSNBC or, for that matter, as part of a satire of the news business. In reality, it happened at Al Jazeera. And as tonight’s second-season premiere of PBS’ “Wide Angle” shows, the competitive pressures can be as great as the political ones on the first uncensored, 24-hour Arabic news network. It airs at 9 p.m. on KCET.

The program goes behind the scenes at the media outlet that became big news itself when it aired videotaped messages from Osama bin Laden after Sept. 11.

After introducing viewers to the basic operation, the documentary deals with some of Al Jazeera’s most trying moments during the recent war: its broadcast of a videotape of U.S. prisoners of war being questioned by Iraqis; its gruesome pictures of dead Iraqis, Americans and British; its standoff with the Iraqi government over journalistic freedom; and the U.S. bombing of the network’s Baghdad bureau, which killed an Al Jazeera reporter.

The 45-minute film, titled “Exclusive to Al Jazeera,” takes a straightforward approach that lets the subjects -- reporters, news executives and an English-language translator -- have their say. Analysis comes in the program’s final 15 minutes, when its host, former Assistant Secretary of State Jamie Rubin, interviews current State Department official Richard Haass.

With Al Jazeera again making headlines in the last week -- broadcasting audiotapes said to be of Saddam Hussein -- tonight’s “Wide Angle” couldn’t be timelier.