After being held for six years at Guantanamo Bay, Al Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Haj has been released. Without charges. He was apprehended in 2001 by Pakistani officers while traveling near the Afghan border, accused of making videos for Osama bin Laden. But as the U.S. government puts it, he’s not being released so much as he’s being transferred to the Sudanese. [Reuters]

Unlike CNN, where Anderson Cooper’s New York show operates as it wishes BECAUSE IT’S ANDERSON COOPER, YO!, and Atlanta is so, so far away, Al Jazeera English is too influenced by its Qatar headquarters — which is why American news anchor Dave Marash quit. With his two-year contract up, Marash went for the exit sign, as have 15 other staffers in recent months. No worries, though; in the U.S., the channel has yet to find any distribution, which means unless you’re logging on to YouTube, the tidal wave of departures won’t really affect your media diet.

Seven days after CNN/Time Warner ended its 27-year relationship with Reuters, the wire service obtained exclusive footage of the latest videotape released by Osama bin Laden. As a result, FNC and MSNBC beat CNN by over 30 minutes, showing the grainy video on endless loop before CNN finally got their hands on the tape…by striking a deal with Al Jazeera. [NYT]

Chris Cramer may have been replaced this month by Tony Maddox as the chief of CNN International – or, as it’s being spun, exiting 11-year tenure was voluntary – but we hear he’s already locked in his next gig: Al Jazeera. “After taking three months off,” relays a source, he’ll be walking the halls of the Arab news network.

• A new research study reveals that The Daily Show appeals to the smart, well-informed populace while Fox News caters more to the “slack-jawed yokel” demographic.

• Don Imus invokes the Ann Coulter defense, attributing his misconstrued remarks to a wayward attempt at comedy.

• David Carr instigates a boring Ellie’s rivalry by hyping up the competition between Field & Stream and Martha Stewart Living.

• Al-Jazeera to become most popular YouTube sensation since “Dorky Light Sabre Guy” and “Girl Who Can’t Dance For Shit.”

• Newspaper apologizes for publishing Photoshopped images, pisses off fashion, pornographic industries, Mariah Carey by calling digitalized alterations “dishonest.”

• Larry King plans to keep on broadcasting, wearing suspenders until he’s forced to answer to “that big Brooklyn guy in the sky.”

• Ashley Judd finds it “gross” that FHM would name her one of the sexiest women alive. Ashley Judd then poses nude on Marie Claire.

• The English language Al Jazeera launches, broadcasting from the Qatar capital Doha to exactly fourteen viewers.

• NBC cuts so far today: Researchers and graphics types, and WNBC talent.

• The going rate for a pair of hostage Fox Newsers? $2 million.

• Speaking of FNC, a fair and balanced news network needs a fair and balanced memo.

• Michelle Rodriguez: Outed by her girlfriend, not a gossip blog.

• Your teen girl mag cheat sheet has arrived.

• Gary Condit goes after VF scribe Domminick Dunne once again. Expect to read about it in Dunne’s column by February.

• Tony Danza storms Rachael Ray’s set, goes bezerk, taken down with tasers.

• Hudson News is cleary bias against the lad mags.

• Paris Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld continues to let others do her job.

• The English language version of Al Jazeera launches tomorrow, which means you can spend all afternoon trying to find out what 3-digit channel number it is.

• New LAT editor James O’Shea is sad to see Dean Baquet go, but don’t let the door hit ya!

• Chandler family infighting over whether to bid for the Tribune looks like Spelling family infighting over who’s going to take Tori’s calls to the house.

• Depending on who you ask, the Tribune Co.’s holdings are valued in the $8.2-8.4 billion range. David Geffen’s LAT offer, meanwhile, tops out at $2b. [HWT]

• An English language version of Al-Jazeera is, supposedly, set to launch Nov. 15. Not that you’ll be able to tune in. [PI]

• New MTV global digital media chief Mika Salmi’s first duty: To get the brand’s 100 properties in alignment. Cost cutting and job cuts, for sure, will go hand in hand. [NYP]

• Facebook would really appreciate it if the traffic scoring companies would stop telling potential buyers that its readership is declining. [BW]

• Blogger backlash: Andrew Sullivan turns on his own. [E&P]

• Big shakeups at LA Weekly. Calm down, Nikki Finke ain’t going anywhere. [LAO]

• Michael Arrington is the power blogger that will make or break your little garage start-up. He could also get you the attention of Rupert Murdoch. [WSJ]