Frost investigated al-Jazeera's "terror links"

Sir David Frost has revealed that he investigated al-Jazeera to clear it of links with al-Qaida before accepting a job at the broadcaster's new English-language channel.

The presenter, who quit the BBC's Breakfast with Frost earlier this year, will front a one-hour weekly show on the new service when it launches next Spring.

"I was concerned that al-Jazeera was absolutely clean of any links with al-Qaida and I checked that out at the highest level in the UK and the US and am convinced that they are clean," he told Broadcast today.

Frost added that he intended to maintain his familiar style on the new show, which will air live across Europe, the US and the Middle East. "I hope I'll bring David Frost as known - that I'll be able to make news and produce telling interviews and that there will also be a sense of humour about it."