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CNN Announces Nevada Caucuses Coverage Plans

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:25:24 GMT

Anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper and John King will headline coverage from the CNN Election Center for the network’s live broadcast of America’s Choice 2012: The Nevada Caucuses as the Republican presidential campaign and CNN turn west Saturday, Feb. 4.

Coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET, immediately following a live, special edition of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer at 6 p.m. ET. At 11 p.m. ET, Don Lemon will anchor a live edition of CNN Newsroom.

Chief political correspondent and anchor Candy Crowley will provide coverage from the Washington bureau, while chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin will provide updates on reactions from the Obama campaign. Senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash has been reporting live from locations around Nevada in the week leading up to the caucuses. At the candidates’ Nevada campaign locations on Saturday will be: chief national correspondent Jim Acosta at Romney headquarters, White House correspondent Brianna Keilar at Gingrich headquarters, and national correspondents David Mattingly and Gary Tuchman at Paul and Santorum headquarters, respectively. Political reporter-at-large Peter Hamby will report throughout the day from the Nevada GOP “nerve center,” where caucus results will be tallied. Political director Mark Preston will be on hand from the CNN Election Center.

Chief political analyst Gloria Borger and senior political analyst David Gergen, alongside CNN political contributors Erick Erickson, Roland Martin and Will Cain, will provide insight and analysis from the CNN Election Center. CNN political contributor John Avlon and political editor Paul Steinhauser will be live from Las Vegas.

CNN Digital

Heading in to the Nevada caucuses, CNNPolitics.com will cover the events in Nevada and be the online destination for all news and analysis related to the 2012 Elections. Users can check out the CNN Election Center to track election results in real-time as well as analyze the exit polls and results thus far. Also, users can predict which candidates will win each state and eventually, the Republican presidential nomination with the interactive GOP Delegate Calculator. Additionally, CNN.com will continue to provide the CNN Electoral Map with the most recent predictions on battleground states as updated by CNN’s political team as well as the 2012 Primary Caucus Calendar, an interactive where users can slide over each month to see when states will hold their primaries and caucuses throughout the year.

On caucus night, CNN.com will live stream the network’s Nevada coverage, along with footage from caucus sites across the state as well as the candidates’ speeches from their individual campaign headquarters. Across CNN’s mobile platforms, users can watch the Nevada caucus events live via CNN’s mobile website and on the CNN apps for iPhone, iPad, Android phone and Android tablet.

To engage and comment on election news as it happens, users can view the CNN Politics Facebook page for political stories and photos, follow @CNNPolitics on Twitter for breaking developments all night and use the #CNNElections hashtag on Twitter.

CNN iReport, the network’s global participatory news community, will be asking for submissions related to the Nevada caucus, some of which will be shown across the network.

CNN en Español and CNN International

CNN en Español will offer extensive coverage of the Nevada caucuses. Starting Friday, Feb. 3, correspondent Karina Dalmas will be reporting live from Las Vegas. On Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m., Washington D.C. anchor Juan Carlos López will host a special edition of Directo USA from Atlanta joined by anchors Patricia Janiot and Fernando del Rincón, and a panel of political contributors Maria Cardona, Juan Hernandez and Roberto Izurieta to offer analysis of the events of the day.

CNN International will simulcast the domestic network’s coverage beginning at 7 p.m.

Programming Schedule for Saturday, February 4, 2012 – Nevada Caucus day

6:00pm – 7:00pm: A Special Edition of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer – LIVE
7:00pm – 11:00pm: America’s Choice 2012: The Nevada Caucuses – LIVE
11:00pm – 12:00am: CNN Newsroom (anchored by Don Lemon) – LIVE
All times Eastern.

Arab Spring Focus of Next CNN Dialogues Event

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:13:22 GMT

The political uprisings ignited in 2010 and 2011 in North Africa and the Middle East, labeled the ‘Arab Spring,’ have altered history and upended the balance of power in the region.

The uncertainty and struggles that continue to unfold are the focus of “The ‘Arab Spring’: A Path to Democracy?,” a CNN Dialogues event that will be held at the Glenn Memorial Auditorium (1652 North Decatur Road) at Emory University in Atlanta on Thursday, Feb. 09 at 7:00pm ET.

CNN International anchor Hala Gorani will moderate a dynamic evening forum, exploring issues of democracy, women’s rights, the role of Islamists, and the role of social media in the uprisings from Tunisia to Egypt to Bahrain to Yemen with scholars, journalists, and activists. Gorani is based in Atlanta, but has reported from every country in the Middle East and North Africa, including Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. She spent much of 2011 covering the tumultuous political uprisings in the region, particularly the Egyptian revolution.

The panelists for this discussion are:

Lamees Dharif is an award-winning journalist and activist who has been active in the Bahraini resistance campaign. She has been banned from writing by the Bahraini government since the beginning of the democracy movement there;

Nic Robertson is a senior international correspondent, based in CNN’s London bureau. Robertson has been with the network for twenty years and covered every major global news event since that time, including war and conflict. Robertson has continued to provide key coverage for events associated with the ‘Arab Spring,’ including reporting on the democracy demonstrations and conflict in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, and Tunisia.

Ahed Al Hendi is a founder of the Syrian Youth for Justice and has worked as a journalist for publications including The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, and The Daily Beast. He lives in the United States.

Carrie Rosefsky Wickham is an associate professor of political science at Emory University, specializing in political opposition movements and political integration in the Arab World. She is the author of Mobilizing Islam: Religion, Activism and Political Change in Egypt: 1st Edition (2002).

Dalia Ziada is director of the Egypt office of the American Islamic Congress which focuses on building interfaith and intercultural understanding. She is a published poet and active in pro-democracy politics.

This is the first CNN Dialogues event of 2012. Admission for this program is free, but pre-registration is required by visiting www.cnndialogues.com, or by calling the James Weldon Johnson Institute for Race and Difference at 404.727.2515, or the National Center for Civil and Human Rights at 404.991.6988.

CNNGo Takes in the Sights and Sounds of Rome

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:09:14 GMT

In February, CNNGo heads to Rome to reveal the sights, tastes and sounds of Italy's Capital – from the historic wonders of the city centre to the trendiest spots off the beaten track.

Acclaimed film directors Luca Ragazzi and Gustav Hofer take viewers on a bike tour through winding cobbled streets in search of the perfect coffee and to the very top of one of Rome's most iconic buildings, "Il Vittoriano".

In a city deeply steeped in history and art, CNN admires Raphael's frescoes through a photographer's lens and explore the art scene in the up-and-coming Pigneto neighbourhood.

Social media expert and part-time singer Paolo Mulè shows us around the trendy neighbourhood of Testaccio - at the heart of it, sits a hill which is entirely made of vessels discarded by ancient merchant ships. Sommelier Hande Leimer takes CNNGo to the Monti neighbourhood to savour the best of the local food and wine. And "The Michelangelo of Pizza", Gabriele Bonci, shows us how he makes his renowned creations.

Full air times:

Wednesday 8 February at 1030 GMT / 1130 CET and 1730 GMT / 1830 CET

Saturday 11 February at 0530 GMT / 0630 CET and 1930 GMT / 2030 CET

Sunday 12 February at 1230 GMT / 1330 CET

CNN Announces Florida GOP Primary Coverage Plans

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:25:49 GMT

As the focus of the next Republican Presidential primary battleground zeroes in on Florida, CNN plans to utilize resources across its platforms for coverage on the ground and from the CNN Election Center.

Anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett and John King will headline the network’s America’s Choice: The Florida Primary coverage beginning at 7 p.m. A special edition of AC360 will air following the network’s primary coverage at 10 p.m. and a special edition of Piers Morgan Tonight will air at midnight. All times Eastern.

CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger and senior political analyst David Gergen, along with political contributors Donna Brazile, James Carville, Alex Castellanos and Ari Fleischer, will be on set in the CNN Election Center to offer insight and analysis throughout the evening.

Reporting from Florida on primary day will be anchor and chief political correspondent Candy Crowley live from the Romney campaign headquarters, national political correspondent Jim Acosta and Miami-based correspondent John Zarrella. CNN political contributors Erick Erickson and Roland Martin will be live from Miami. From Washington, chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin will provide the latest updates on reaction from the Obama campaign.

Looking ahead to the Nevada caucuses, senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash and senior political correspondent Joe Johns will report live from Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada, respectively, tomorrow night. Tom Foreman also will report live from a focus group location of undecided Republican voters in Las Vegas.

CNN Radio

CNN radio reporters Lisa Desjardins and Bob Costantini will cover the primary results for the CNN Radio network and its affiliates. Desjardins will gather sound for the American Sauce podcast and Costantini will produce a Political Notebook podcast.

CNN Digital

Users can check out the CNN Election Center to track real-time election results and analyze the exit polls and results thus far from Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The GOP Delegate Calculator allows users after each caucus or primary to try their hand at predicting which candidates will win each state and eventually, the Republican presidential nomination. CNN.com will continue to provide the CNN Electoral Map with the most recent predictions on battleground states as updated by CNN’s political experts.

CNN.com will live stream campaign events leading up to and on the day of the Florida primary. To engage and comment on election night news as it happens, users can visit the CNN Politics Facebook page. On Twitter, users may follow @CNNPolitics for breaking developments and join the conversation by using hashtag #CNNElections.

CNN iReport, the network’s global participatory news community, will be asking for submissions related to the events in Florida, some of which will be shown on CNN.com and broadcast on CNN.

Across CNN’s mobile platforms, the latest election stories and opinion pieces will be available via CNN’s mobile website and on the CNN apps for iPhone, iPad, Android phone and Android tablet. The new Election Center section can also be accessed on CNN’s mobile platforms. All apps will live stream the candidate speeches and events during the primary. On primary night, live results can be viewed on CNN's mobile website and in the CNN App for iPad.

CNN en Español and CNN International

CNN en Español will offer extensive coverage of the Jan.31 Florida primaries, one in which the Latino vote is expected to play its most significant role yet. On Tuesday, Washington D.C. correspondent Ione Molinares will be reporting live from Tampa, and reporter Rafael Fuenmayor will offer live updates with guests from Miami throughout the day. Starting at 7 p.m., Washington D.C. anchor Juan Carlos López will host a special edition of Directo USA from Atlanta joined by anchors Patricia Janiot and Fernando del Rincón, and a panel of political contributors Maria Cardona, Juan Hernandez and Roberto Izurieta to offer analysis of the events of the day.

CNN International will simulcast the domestic network’s coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Programming schedule for Tuesday, Jan. 31 – Florida Primary day (All Times Eastern):

7:00PM – 10:00PM: America's Choice 2012: The Florida Primary (Live)
10:00PM – 12:00AM: Anderson Cooper 360° – Special Edition (Live)
12:00AM – 1:00AM (Feb.1): Piers Morgan Tonight (Live)

CNN's Ali Velshi on the 'Best Gig Going'

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:07:53 GMT

Ali Velshi, the chief business correspondent for CNN, talked with Alex Weprin of TVNewser about his new show that covers business internationally.

Weprin writes, “‘For a business journalist in 2012, I have about the best gig going,’ Velshi told TVNewser. ‘I will be doing stuff for a global audience every morning, which is their primetime. The show is 7 PM in India, 10 PM in Hong Kong, 11 PM in Tokyo, those audiences are very financially sophisticated.’

“It also means that he can wake up at a more reasonable hour, although he will be spread out more across the many CNN platforms.

”I had my first full night of rest [last Monday], it has been a long time on the mornings,’ he added. ‘I will be doing business like I used to for primetime, reporting and providing commentary and analysis from probably 4PM onward. It is going to be a long and weird schedule, but it sort of fits what I have been doing recently on different platforms.’”

CNN to Launch Windows Phone App

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:29:24 GMT

Today at CES, CNN announced the launch of the CNN App for Windows Phone, which will be available in the coming month.

The CNN App for Windows Phones will provide the latest news and video from CNN’s reporting around the globe.

Offering a robust user experience, the CNN App takes full advantage of Windows Phone 7 features to offer a vivid, panoramic interface, the ability to pin sections of the app to a home screen, Live Tile for real-time news updates, and direct access to iReport, CNN’s participatory news community. For the first time on an app, users will have the ability to submit an iReport while simultaneously capturing the event.

Launching globally for free in the next month, the CNN App will be exclusive to Nokia users for 90 days and then available on all Windows Phone devices as they come to market.

“The CNN App will offer Windows Phone users a customizable CNN experience shaped for their environment,” said Louis Gump, vice president of CNN Mobile. ”The Windows platform and Nokia phones will enable millions of people to plug in using the CNN app and interact with the world – where, when and how they want.”

CNN Announces New Hampshire Primary Coverage Plans

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:13:55 GMT

As the race for the Republican presidential nomination heats up, CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, Candy Crowley, John King and Soledad O’Brien will headline CNN’s Jan. 10 coverage of the New Hampshire primary election live from the CNN Election Center and the Granite state beginning at 7 p.m.

Chief political analyst Gloria Borger, senior political analyst David Gergen, and political contributors James Carville, Ari Fleischer, Dana Loesch and Roland Martin, will offer expert analysis throughout the evening. Piers Morgan will broadcast a special edition of Piers Morgan Tonight at midnight.

Also reporting from New Hampshire will be CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein, along with CNN political contributors, Donna Brazile, Erick Erickson, David Frum, Mary Matalin and Hilary Rosen.

CNN correspondents on the ground in New Hampshire will be national political correspondent Jim Acosta, senior political correspondent Joe Johns, senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash, chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin, and CNN Radio correspondents Bob Costantini and Steve Kastenbaum. CNN reporters embedded in early primary voting states over the last several months will also be in New Hampshire to play a role in coverage, including New Hampshire-based political producer Rachel Streitfeld, political reporter Shannon Travis and political producer Shawna Shepherd. Reporter-at-large Peter Hamby will look one step ahead in the primary contest, live from South Carolina.

Anchors Candy Crowley, John King, Soledad O’Brien, along with Reliable Sources host Howard Kurtz, will report and anchor their respective programs from New Hampshire in the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary. Crowley and O’Brien will remain in New Hampshire through the primary to anchor coverage from the ground the evening of Jan. 10. Through the weekend and primary day, CNN will give viewers an unfiltered look at GOP candidates by airing extensive live events from the campaign trail.

New Hampshire Primary Day Schedule

5 a.m. – 7 a.m.    Early Start with Ashleigh Banfield and Zoraida Sambolin– live from CNN Election Center
7 a.m. – 9 a.m.    Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien– live from N.H.
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.    CNN Newsroom – live from CNN Election Center
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.    The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer – live from CNN Election Center
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.    John King, USA – live from CNN Election Center
7 p.m. – 12 a.m.    CNN America’s Choice 2012: New Hampshire Primary – live from N.H. & CNN Election Center
12 a.m. – 1 a.m.    Piers Morgan Tonight – live from CNN Election Center

Technology and Social Media (#CNNElections)

Anchor and chief national correspondent John King will utilize innovative features on CNN’s Magic Wall to explore incoming results. Anchor Erin Burnett and chief political analyst Gloria Borger will drive the dual-screen “FlickBoard” to explain how exit polls are calculated. Animated 3-D virtual voters will again be used to help explain how a primary works.

The network will aggregate social media conversations happening using the hashtag #CNNElections. Those tweets will be displayed in the lower third of the screen throughout CNN’s programming and will display user sentiments about candidates and issues in real time.

CNN.com

In the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary, CNNPolitics.com will be the online destination for all news and analysis related to the 2012 Elections. New for the New Hampshire primary, the CNN Electoral Map will provide the most recent predictions on battleground states as updated by CNN’s political experts, and the 2012 Primary Caucus Calendar will serve as an interactive datebook where users can slide over a specific month to see when states will hold their primaries and caucuses throughout the year. Across CNN’s mobile platforms, the latest election stories and opinion pieces will be available via mobile web and the CNN apps for iPhone, iPad, Android phone and Android tablet.

On the day of the primary, CNN.com will live stream the events in New Hampshire and live blog the night’s developments. As the primary results come in, users will be able to track them in real-time at the CNN Election Center. To engage and comment on election night news as it happens, users can view the CNN Politics Facebook page for political stories and photos of CNN’s favorite faces and also follow @CNNPolitics on Twitter for breaking developments all night.

CNN iReport, the network’s global participatory news community, will be asking for submissions related to the New Hampshire primary, some of which will be shown across CNN.com and broadcast on CNN.

CNN en Español and CNN International

CNN en Español will offer extensive coverage of the Jan. 10 New Hampshire primaries with correspondent Adriana Hauser reporting live from New Hampshire throughout the day. Starting at 7 p.m., the network will offer periodic updates with Washington, D.C. anchor Juan Carlos López. At 9 p.m., López will host a special edition of Directo USA from Atlanta joined by anchors Patricia Janiot and Fernando del Rincón, and a panel of political contributors Maria Cardona, Juan Hernandez and Roberto Izurieta to offer analysis of the events of the day. Gustavo Valdés will be reporting live from South Carolina throughout the day for a look ahead to the next prize in the primary race.

CNN International will simulcast the domestic network’s coverage beginning at 7 p.m.

Amy Entelis Named as CNN Senior Vice President of Talent and Content Development

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:31:45 GMT

CNN has named Amy Entelis to a newly created position of Senior Vice President, Talent and Content Development for CNN Worldwide, it was announced by Mark Whitaker, CNN Worldwide Managing Editor.

Reporting directly to Whitaker, Entelis will be responsible for show development, including pilots and content acquisitions, and talent recruitment and strategy for all CNN networks and platforms including CNN, HLN and CNN International. Entelis will begin on January 17 and will be based in CNN’s New York offices.

Entelis has had an extensive career in television news as a producer and as a senior executive, spending more than 30 years at ABC where she was Senior Vice President of Talent Strategy, Development and Research until May 2011. While at ABC, Entelis hired and developed the careers of hundreds of journalists, both on and off-air, including recruiting and managing talent for the network’s most high-profile programs including Good Morning America, World News, Nightline and 20/20. Following ABC, Entelis served as Executive Vice President, Talent Strategy at Sucherman Consulting Group.

“Amy's eye for talent and gift for nurturing it are legendary throughout the television industry,” said Whitaker. “In this key new executive role, she will help us even better showcase the great anchors, reporters and producers we already have at CNN and our other networks, attract the next generation of talent, and work with program developers both inside and outside the company to create our shows and specials of the future."

“This position offers me a special opportunity to work with the talented journalists of CNN and to contribute to shaping its programming vision,” said Entelis. “I am thrilled to be joining the CNN team.”

Entelis served in a number of capacities while at ABC News. In addition to hiring and cultivating on-air talent, Entelis oversaw all off-air editorial recruiting, hiring and growth and development opportunities. She created mentoring programs, career development initiatives and a diversity advisory board. For ten years she led ABC News’ Business Affairs department, supervising all talent negotiations. As Senior Vice President of Talent Strategy, Development and Research, she was responsible for the news division’s strategic plan for on-air and off-air talent.

Entelis began her career on the weekly news magazine 20/20, and then spent five years as a producer at World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, specializing in business and economics reporting. ABC News President Roone Arledge recruited Entelis for her first management role with a mandate to develop women and minorities for on-air positions. Later at ABC, Entelis pioneered the first system in network news that coordinated the identification, recruitment and development of on-air talent.

Entelis has received many awards for her work as a producer, including the National News Emmy, the duPont Columbia Award, the Front Page Award from the Newswomen’s Club of NY, the Headliner Award, and the Planned Parenthood Award. A graduate of Vassar College, Entelis received her Masters in Journalism from Columbia University and serves as a member of the Board of Visitors of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.

CNN's Zite Named Best iPad App for 2011 by New York Times

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:26:37 GMT

Zite, the iPad App acquired by CNN in August 2011, was named the best iPad App of the year according to the New York Times.

Described as ‘the closest thing to a perfect magazine”, the article’s author compliments Zite’s graphics, interface, and the ‘smart algorithm’ that serves up customized editorial content.

Back in December, Apple released its iTunes Rewind 2011 list, which features both CNN and Zite in a selection of the year’s top apps. The CNN iPad app was named one of the year’s “Top Ten Free Apps” and Zite won the title of “Best News App of 2011.”

In addition, Zite released its new app for iPhone last month: http://blog.zite.com/2011/12/zite-puts-power-of-personalization-on.html.

CNN Simulcasts Coverage of US Pullout from Iraq

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:53:47 GMT

CNN aired a live simulcast across its domestic and international networks last night as the last US troops remaining in Iraq pulled out to their positions over the Iraqi border.

CNN's coverage included Don Lemon (@donlemoncnn) and Hala Gorani (@halagorani) co-anchoring, with Arwa Damon (@arwaCNN) reporting from Baghdad, Marty Savidge and Michael Holmes (@holmesCNN) reporting from Kuwait and Nic Robertson (@nicrobertsonCNN) contributing from London.

CNN's Living Golf Visits North and South Africa

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:13:55 GMT

In January, Living Golf travels to South and North Africa. Beginning in South Africa’s Cape, host Shane O’Donoghue spends time with three-times Major winner Ernie Els as he enjoys a break in his homeland.

Els also tells O’Donoghue what he does away from the course as they visit his Foundation at Fancourt, which takes talented young players, often from poorer backgrounds, and coaches them in both golf and life-skills.

Living Golf also visits North Africa to see how the game is developing in Morocco.

The programme examines why investment from the Middle East and Morocco itself is fuelling the building of new courses and looks at how Marrakech is finding the large amount of water needed to keep the city irrigated. Plus, world number four, Martin Kaymer, provides the latest in his series of tips on playing the sport.

The show airs on CNN International;

Thursday 05 January at 1030 GMT / 1130 CET and 1730 GMT / 1830 CET

Saturday 07 January at 0830 GMT / 0930 CET and 2200 GMT / 2300 CET

Sunday 08 January at 1730 GMT / 1830 CET

Saturday 14 January at 1730 GMT / 1830 CET

Sunday 15 January at 0830 GMT / 0930 CET and 2200 GMT / 2300 CET

CNN's Inside the Middle East Heads to Abu Dhabi

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:08:52 GMT

January’s Inside the Middle East comes from Abu Dhabi as the UAE marks its fifth decade as a state.

Host Rima Maktabi looks at Abu Dhabi’s history, from Emirati traditions such as the art of falconry to modern achievements including the opening of ‘Ferrari Wold’, which boasts the world’s fastest rollercoaster. At the ‘Eye on Earth’ summit Inside the Middle East meets environmental advocate and CNN special contributor Philippe Cousteau as he talks to children about green awareness.

The programme also sees how the ‘Abu Dhabi Science Festival’ is part of the nation’s long-term vision to invest in its human resources.

Visiting Zayed University, Maktabi interviews Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, minister of higher education and president of the university. And in the Campus Forum segment of the programme, Inside the Middle East speaks to the students about the future of their generation and their nation.

The show airs on CNN International;

Wednesday 04 January at 1030 GMT / 1130 CET and 1730 GMT / 1830 CET

Saturday 07 January at 0530 GMT / 0630 CET and 1930 GMT / 2030 CET

Sunday 08 January at 1230 GMT / 1330 CET

Saturday 14 January at 1230 GMT / 1330 CET

Sunday 15 January at 0530 GMT / 0630 CET and 1930 GMT / 2030 CET

Christiane Amanpour Returns to CNN International

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:49:34 GMT

CNN has announced that Christiane Amanpour will be returning to CNN International to host an evening newscast beginning in 2012.

In a unique arrangement with ABC News, Christiane will continue to report for their news programs, as well.

CNN said in a statement: "We could not be happier than to welcome back to the CNN organization the leading international journalist working in television news, who also happens to be our longtime colleague and friend. I wanted to share the news with you as it is breaking."

Christiane Amanpour added: "This is an exciting and unique opportunity for me to take my love of story telling to primetime at ABC News with multiple specials, as well as becoming a roving Global Affairs anchor across all ABC platforms.

"I am looking forward to getting back into the field to report stories on global issues that matter greatly to the American people. At the same time, I will be broadcasting once again to hundreds of millions of people across the world with a weekday show on CNN International.

"This role is groundbreaking, bold and very different! I am thrilled and honored.

"It's been an incredible experience to have had a ringside seat to democracy in action at This Week. It's been an incredible honor to anchor such a prestigious program and I thank all of you who have helped me on that journey."

Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin Co-Host CNN's New Years Eve Coverage

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:15:30 GMT

Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin will again co-host CNN’s New Year’s Eve celebration on Saturday, Dec. 31, from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (ET).

The odd-couple will ring in the new year for CNN’s "New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” live from NYC’s Time Square.

"Get ready, America. Pull up a chair and a box of your finest wine, because you've never seen a New Year's Eve show like this,” said Griffin. “By the time I'm done with him, Anderson's hair is going to be even more gray. In fact, the night is going to be so wild, his hair is actually going to turn brown again."

“Kathy Griffin scares me. I’ve said this often to CNN management directly and through my attorneys,” said Cooper “She continues to appear by my side on New Year’s Eve, so clearly no one is listening to me”

CNN correspondents will provide reports from celebrations across the country and around the world. Isha Sesay will join Cooper and Griffin from the crowds in Times Square and Gary Tuchman will report live from Central Park for the annual Midnight Run. Correspondent John Zarrella will be live in Key West, Florida and Brooke Baldwin from Nashville, Tennessee. The show will simulcast on CNN International. After Anderson and Griffin sign off from Times Square at 12:30a.m. (ET) CNN’s Brooke Baldwin and Marty Savidge will take over from Nashville and count down to midnight, central time.

Leading up to “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” will be “Best and Worst of 2011,” an Anderson Cooper 360° special, which will air at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.(ET). The special will count down to the new year by looking back at 2010, anchored by Tom Foreman, who will shine a spotlight on the highs and lows of the past twelve months in politics, pop culture, the economy, entertainment, and much more. A re-air of Piers Morgan Tonight will air at 9 p.m. (ET).

CNN Names Robin Lim 2011 CNN Hero of the Year

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:20:28 GMT

In a star-studded ceremony Sunday night at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Robin Lim was named the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year.

Christy Turlington Burns introduced Lim as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes while host Anderson Cooper announced her name as the CNN Hero of the Year at the end of the evening. Each of the Top 10 CNN Heroes received $50,000, and Lim’s nonprofit, Bumi Sehat Foundation, will receive an additional $250,000 grant.

In Indonesia, women are 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than women in developed countries. After Lim’s younger sister died from pregnancy complications, she became a professional midwife and dedicated her life to offering free prenatal and birthing services to low-income Indonesian women. Since 2003, Lim’s“Yayasan Bumi Sehat” (Healthy Mother Earth) clinic has provided medical assistance to thousands of women in Bali and Aceh, Indonesia.

The star-studded ceremony included celebrity participants Jerry Seinfeld, Sofia Vergara, Mary-Louise Parker, Ice Cube, Laura Dern, J.R. Martinez, will.i.am, Christy Turlington Burns, George Lopez and Kurt Warner. Miley Cyrus, Chris Colfer and Emma Roberts presented to youths who were recognized and honored by CNN as “Young Wonders.” Miley Cyrus also performed her triple platinum hit “The Climb”, while Kid Rock performed a powerful version of "Care" from his platinum selling album, “Born Free.”

Now in its fifth year, CNN Heroes is a multi-platform campaign that shines a spotlight on individuals who go to extraordinary lengths to serve others. This year, the campaign received over 10,000 submissions from more than 100 countries.

CNN Poll Suggests Germans and French Believe They are Worse Off in Euro

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:38:51 GMT

In an exclusive survey conducted by CNN International in partnership with ComRes across seven European countries – Germany, France, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Italy – CNN asked Europeans for their thoughts on the Euro zone.

Almost half of German people (42%) believe that their country's economy would be in a better position today if Germany hadn't joined the Euro, according to the findings of the survey. A similar proportion also opposed a more tight-knit "United States of Europe," along lines favored by their leader, Chancellor Angela Merkel. The concept enjoys stronger backing in poorer countries such as Spain and Italy, the study found.

42% of French citizens agreed that France would be better if it had remained outside of the Euro; but just 33% in Greece, 27% in Ireland and 36% in Portugal felt the same. These last three countries all showed a strong support for greater financial and economic integration.

Questioned about a move towards a more federal Europe, 65% of Italians, 64% in Spain and 49% in Greece said they would like to see more powers centralized, while only 36% of Germans and 35% of French agree.

When asked who they would trust to best look after their country’s interests 40% of Germans said they trust the countries national politicians, whilst figures were significantly lower in Greece (9%), Portugal (10%) and Italy (10%).

CNN Announces More Acts for Fifth Annual 'CNN Heroes All Star Tribute'

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:41:45 GMT

CNN has announced that Kid Rock will perform a special live version of "Care" from his platinum selling album, “Born Free”, on CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, hosted by Anderson Cooper live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA, on CNN, Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 8:00 PM ET.

In addition, CNN announced that Miley Cyrus has also been added as a celebrity presenter along with Dancing with the Stars winner, J.R. Martinez, The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, global maternal health advocate and founder of Every Mother Counts, Christy Turlington Burns, and NFL Super Bowl champ and MVP quarterback Kurt Warner, all of whom were confirmed last week. CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute honors individuals who are making extraordinary contributions to help improve the lives of others.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the multiple Emmy®-award winning chief medical correspondent for CNN, will be doing exclusive backstage interviews live on CNN.com during the show.

This news comes on the heels of CNN announcing that J.R. Martinez will also be co-hosting the live pre-show, Showbiz Tonight @ CNN Heroes, with AJ Hammer, host of HLN's evening show, Showbiz Tonight. Holly Robinson Peete will be hosting the social media suite on the red carpet. Showbiz Tonight’s correspondent, Kareen Wynter, will also be part of the pre-show, interviewing the arriving celebrities on the red carpet. The Showbiz Tonight @ CNN Heroes pre-show will air live on CNN and HLN at 7:00 PM ET.

Fans are encouraged to vote up to 10 times a day, every day, for this year’s “CNN Hero of the Year”. Voting continues through Wednesday, December 7, 2011, at midnight PT, and the “CNN Hero of the Year” will be announced live at this year’s CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute show. Fans can also make a direct charitable donation to their favorite Top 10 CNN Heroes’ nonprofit using Google Wallet, through December 31, 2011. Google is waiving all transaction fees enabling 100 percent of the donations to go directly to the heroes’ non-profit organizations. Visit CNNHeroes.com online or on your mobile device to learn more about the 2011 honorees, cast your vote and to donate.

Kelly Flynn is the Senior Executive Producer for the “CNN Heroes” initiative and CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. This year’s show will be produced by Ian Stewart and Hamish Hamilton of Done and Dusted.

CNN Digital Grabs Three EPPY Awards

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:35:15 GMT

CNN Digital was honored today with three EPPY™ Awards by Editor & Publisher, the authoritative journal for newspaper professionals.

The EPPY™ Awards recognize media outlets that are leading the way in the online revolution. CNN Digital picked up awards for the Best News/Political Blog for the This Just In blog, Best Citizen Journalism site for CNN iReport and Best Food site for CNN’s food blog, Eatocracy.

The 2011 EPPY™ Awards, now in their 16th year, are an international contest that honors the best media-affiliated websites across 43 diverse categories. The winners were announced Wednesday, November 30 on www.editorandpublisher.com after four weeks of in-depth judging.
Finalists must receive a score in the top one third of the average score across all categories within their division.

In addition to the CNN Digital Awards, CNNMoney.com and SI.com also were honored.

CNN International Looks Back on Defining Moments of 2011

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:52:35 GMT

As a remarkably tumultuous year in international news draws to a close, the world’s news leader looks back at some of the most compelling reporting and extraordinary events in a CNN special: ‘Defining Moments 2011’.

Around the world, CNN has been at the forefront of every major event. With unprecedented access and incomparable global reach, the network has brought fast, accurate and impartial reports live from the frontline.

CNN reporters witnessed revolt across the Arab world that toppled governments, and were on the ground in Japanas citizens braved disasters both natural and manmade. In Defining Moments 2011, CNN reflects on this historic and dynamic year, from the death of Osama Bin Laden months before the tenth anniversary of September 11 to the slow disintegration of the Eurozone, the terror attacks inNorway, bombings inMoscow and the ongoing widespread famine inEast Africa.

Defining Moments 2011 takes viewers on a journey, remembering a year of stories that had audiences all over the globe glued to their screens. Go back inside Moammar Gadhafi's compound on the day Tripoli fell. Relive the moment Prince William married Kate Middleton. And look back at the launch of NASA’s last space shuttle as it headed skyward for the final time. Reflect on the devastation that followed some of the worst floods parts of Australia, Brazil and Thailand have experienced for decades.

Defining Moments 2011 invites viewers to reflect on a year that will stay in the collective memory for a long time.

The programme airs;

Saturday 31 December at 1400 GMT / 1500 CET, 2000 GMT / 2100 CET and 0200 GMT / CET 0300

Sunday 01 January 2012 at 1100 GMT / 1200 CET and 0300 GMT / 0400 CET

Duration: 1 hour

CNN Shines Spotlight on Thailand

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:49:42 GMT

This month CNN shines the spotlight on Thailand as its 'Eye On' series travels to South East Asia for a week of live coverage, special reports and analysis.

CNN correspondent Anna Coren crosses the country to explore the nation's culture and economy as it journeys along the road to recovery from recent flooding. Bringing a mix of interviews and additional reporting from Paula Hancocks, Eye On Thailand will reveal the people and places defining the ancient kingdom and those growing its influence in Asia and beyond.

The programme will report from Bangkok as the country celebrates the King’s 84th birthday, visits a popular Arab hospital and reflects on the nation’s craze for football in recent years.

To date, the global journey of Eye On has stopped off in France, Germany, Macedonia, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, Nigeria, Bahrain, Oman, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Georgia, Japan and Azerbaijan.

A week of live reports 5 – 9 December, followed by a half-hour special airing at the times below:

Saturday 10 December at 1400 GMT / 1300 CET and 2130 GMT / 2230 CET

Sunday 11 December at 1030 GMT / 1130 CET and 2130 / 2230 CET

Monday 12 December at 0430 GMT / 0530 CET and 0830 GMT / 0930 CET

Tuesday 13 December 1030 GMT / 1130 CET and 1730 GMT / 1830 CET

Wednesday 14 December 0530 GMT / 0630 CET

Duration: 30 minutes