Al-Jazeera Plans British, French Networks

Five hours of prime-time broadcast

Qatar's Al-Jazeera television network said Monday it was preparing to launch a news channel in Britain while studies are at an advanced stage for a French-language channel.

"We are currently working to launch a news channel from the United Kingdom," said the network's Director General Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al-Thani in Doha, adding it will be called Al-Jazeera UK.

The British channel will broadcast for five hours during prime time as a cut-in UK content aired on Al-Jazeera English channel, which was opened in 2006, an Al-Jazeera official told AFP.