Al Jazeera has announced the appointment of Roch Pellerin as head of global distribution for the network. A veteran of the television industry with extensive professional experience throughout Europe and North America, Roch will spearhead efforts to continue the expansion of Al Jazeera.
Roch will be based in the network’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar and will report directly to Al Anstey, director of media development for Al Jazeera Network.
Prior to joining Al Jazeera, Roch spent seven years at Disney/ESPN as the MD for Europe, the Middle East and Africa of ESPN Classic. Roch previously held a number of senior roles with Paris-based Canal+ Group. Additionally, Roch served as MD in charge of sales, marketing and administration for Eurosport France, and he worked in New York City at A&E Television Networks as director of financial planning.
“The Al Jazeera Network continues to make great strides in global distribution with Al Jazeera English now reaching more than 220 million households in more than 100 countries,” said Al Anstey in a statement. “We know there are still many markets that are eager to have access to our cutting-edge news and programming and Roch brings with him the global experience and industry insight to reach new regions and expand our presence in current markets. Additionally, Roch will be an essential part of Al Jazeera’s strategy to continue our expansion through various areas of new media and online platform, ensuring we reach the widest possible international audience.”