Let us know what you think the Best and Worst of 2007 were for CNN and its networks. Could it be the hiring of Campbell Brown, or the CNN Internationl Chryon "Bush Resigns"? Let us know via comment below. Any predictions for 2008? We'd love to hear those too!

Quick programming note... Morning Express started at a special time today, 7:00 AM Eastern, and will tomorrow as well. This is just for today and tomorrow only.

In today's afternoon edition of CNN Newsroom, CNN International anchor Isha Sesay is anchoring.

Update (12/31): Isha anchored again for Fredricka on Sunday. Drew Griffin was in for Rick Sanchez on the evening edition of CNN Newsroom this weekend also.

Tonight on 360°, Anderson Cooper announced he'll be traveling to Pakistan for tomorrow night's broadcast. Will he return for the CNN New Year's Eve special? As of now, CNN.com's main page is still promoting Anderson as host. More info to follow as it is announced...

Happy Holidays from all of us at CNN Observations!

CNN Pressroom - For the fourth year in a row, CNN’s Anderson Cooper will host live coverage of the New Year’s Eve celebration at New York City’s Times Square on Monday, Dec. 31, from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (ET). For “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper,” CNN anchors and correspondents will provide reports from celebrations across the country and around the world.

Joining Cooper in Times Square will be American Morning anchor Kiran Chetry and Headline News anchor Erica Hill. CNN correspondent Gary Tuchman will report live from New York City’s Central Park for the annual Midnight Run. Correspondent Sean Callebs will report from New Orleans, while correspondent Kareen Wynter will be in Las Vegas.

The program will feature musical performances from Earth, Wind & Fire in Las Vegas and Miranda Lambert and Widespread Panic, both in Atlanta. Also joining Cooper throughout the night will be comedienne Kathy Griffin.

Throughout the day and into the evening, CNN will solicit iReport contributions from its global audience and broadcast and post video, images and other submissions about celebrations around the world.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

CNN Pressroom - With all of the recent debate on religion in politics, CNN's Roland Martin hosts a holiday edition of “What Would Jesus Really Do?” as he takes a look at the presidential political landscape to ponder how Jesus Christ might respond. “What Would Jesus Really Do?” airs on Friday, Dec. 21, and Monday, Dec. 24, at 8 p.m. (ET)

For the special, Martin turns to a star panel of theologians and the Best Political Team in Television to apply the question to the war in Iraq, gay rights, immigration, abortion, healthcare, the economy and more. A CNN "Quick Vote Poll" solicits viewer opinion on whether Jesus would be a Republican, Democrat or an independent.

Martin also guides a discussion about the commercialization of Christmas and whether the holy day has been “holi-jacked.” He also examines how Hindus, atheists, Muslims, Jews and people of other faiths fare during the Christmas season.

This is the third special Martin has hosted for CNN on faith. A nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate and a Chicago-based radio host, Martin joined CNN in February. He is also a commentator for TV One Cable Network and hosts The Roland S. Martin Show on WVON/1690AM in Chicago each weekday. He is the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith and Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

CNN Pressroom - CNN’s ‘iReport: Caught on Camera’ Premieres Wednesday, Dec. 26, at 8 p.m. (ET)

As 2007 comes to a close, CNN reviews the year’s most talked-about stories including the Virginia Tech tragedy, the Minneapolis bridge collapse and California’s wildfire through the eyes of its citizen journalists. “iReport: Caught on Camera” will highlight the most memorable news events of 2007 by showcasing material from iReporters – viewers and users who submit their own pictures and video of the news of the day via cell phones, cameras and other devices.

Hosted by Out in the Open’s Rick Sanchez, “iReport: Caught on Camera” will premiere on CNN/U.S. and CNN HD on Wednesday, Dec. 26, at 8 p.m., and replays on Tuesday, Jan. 1, at 8 p.m. All times Eastern. The special will also air on CNN International at various times depending on location.

“It’s hard to turn away when watching a news story unfold in the raw – unfiltered and user-generated,” Sanchez said. “iReport is cutting edge and has become a meeting place where news, television and today’s technology intersect and keep us in awe.”

The one-hour special is packed with the best iReports of 2007, featuring interviews with iReporters and CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein about the year’s biggest stories including the Virginia Tech tragedy, the riots in Myanmar, the Minneapolis bridge collapse and California’s wildfires. CNN anchors and correspondents Jim Acosta, Wolf Blitzer, Matthew Chance, Heidi Collins, Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon, David Mattingly, Chad Myers, Nic Robertson and Ted Rowlands also add dimension to the top stories from their own reporting during the year.

With more than 73,000 submissions in 2007, CNN’s iReport exposed the world to some of the most compelling images in the news over the last year and helped establish user-generated content as a powerful and viable means of newsgathering. The special replays compelling iReports of an earthquake in Peru, an eyewitness to a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, the top political iReports with Tom Foreman, a Taser incident during a John Kerry speech, severe weather around the world and contributions from U.S. troops and their families.

On the morning of April 16, iReport created a remarkable impression when chilling cell phone video from the campus of Virginia Tech provided viewers with a first-hand look at the tragedy that claimed the lives of 32 victims. Within 24 hours of the Virginia Tech tragedy, CNN received more than 420 submissions, ranging from eyewitness accounts of the events on campus to reflective and emotional tributes to those that lost their lives. The latest submission record was set during the recent California wildfires, when iReporters shared 11,680 videos and photos.

Viewers submit iReport material through a “Send Your iReport” link at CNN.com or by e-mail at ireport@cnn.com. Submitted material undergoes the same extensive vetting process CNN employs for all content that goes on air or online.

“iReport: Caught on Camera” will be broadcast in high definition. The executive producer is Michael Kane.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

Just tuned into CNN Domestic and Adrian Finighan from CNN International broke in just recently to break the news of Rudy Guiliani heading to the hospital with flu-like symptoms.

CNN Pressroom - State-of-the-Art Mobile News Bureau Key Component of CNN’s 2008 Election Coverage

The CNN Election Express once again rolls along the nation’s highways as it travels from election hot spots to campaign battlefields as part of CNN’s unmatched coverage of the 2008 presidential campaigns and breaking news. The state-of-the-art mobile news bureau is equipped to cover news stories with unparalleled depth and speed by combining the capabilities of a studio, editing room and production facility with those of a satellite truck.

A Prevost H-45, the CNN Election Express accommodates up to 20 people in its newsroom and is the first and only fully High-Definition mobile news production vehicle. This 45-foot bus is wired for WiFi and boasts robust Internet connectivity, four HD cameras, ten LCD monitors and one 42-inch plasma screen. The CNN Election Express also maintains a tracking BGAN transmission platform that allows the bus to transmit video while in motion. A top-of-the-line editing system and video production server provide full post-production capabilities.

“For our America Votes 2008 coverage, we have put on the road what is possibly the most technologically advanced news production vehicle in the world,” said Sam Feist, CNN’s political director. “With the vast capacities of the CNN Election Express, CNN takes voters directly to the most important stops of the campaign in ways other news organizations can only imagine.”

The next stops for the CNN Election Express include Iowa for the state’s upcoming caucuses, New Hampshire for the nation’s first primary elections and visits to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Los Angeles for CNN’s remaining presidential primary debates.

To date, the CNN Election Express has served as the studio for interviews with top presidential candidates including Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). The studio configuration includes a lighting grid with full power to allow quick set-up for interviews. The video equipment on board can also be used outside for interviews and live shots.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

Gloria Borger - Senior Political Analyst

Elizabeth Cohen - Medical Correspondent

CNN Pressroom - As 2007 comes to a close, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer and CNN Radio are offering affiliates a special year-end review of the past 12 months – one minute at a time – and then in a two-hour special called “2007 Rewind.”

Hosted by Blitzer, the two-hour “2007 Rewind” takes a look at some of the biggest stories of 2007 while moving some of the stories forward into the New Year. CNN journalists including Lisa Desjardins, A.J. Hammer, Ed Henry, Amanda Moyer, Miles O'Brien, Kyra Phillips, Jim Ribble, Larry Smith, Gary Tuchman and others will contribute to the program.

The one-minute features, also anchored by Blitzer, examine the biggest stories of 2007 including such topics as the Virginia Tech shootings, the Minnesota bridge collapse, the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Barry Bonds, Michael Vick, Don Imus, Britney Spears, the California fires, drought, immigration and more.

All of the content is available in a special “Year End” section of www.CNNRadio.com.

CNN Radio is a full-service network, providing its approximately 2,000 worldwide affiliates with the latest information in news, sports and business. Utilizing CNN’s 36 bureaus worldwide, CNN Radio offers an unmatched menu of actualities and reports through satellite feeds and an affiliate-accessible Web site. CNN Radio is based in CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta, with personnel, including radio-only correspondents, located at the CNN bureau in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York. CNN Radio programming is distributed exclusively for radio broadcast in the United States by Westwood One. CNN Radio audio can also be heard via a link on the www.CNN.com Web site.

CNN Pressroom - CNN Unveils New Election Center in New York with Innovative Graphics Capabilities

CNN will marshal its extensive resources and political expertise for wall-to-wall coverage of the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, 2008. Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, along with Anderson Cooper and Lou Dobbs, will lead the network’s special coverage of the Iowa caucuses out of the new CNN Election Center in New York. Special programming will begin at 4 p.m. (ET) and run late into the night.

The CNN Election Center is the network’s new political nerve center located in CNN’s broadcast headquarters in New York. CNN’s team of statisticians and political analysts will pour over data and polling information to bring viewers the most accurate results as voters are caucusing and then as results come in.

Because of the nature of this election season – with an array of viable candidates, no incumbents running from either party and a compressed primary calendar – CNN has created a whole new way to visualize these races. The power of the network’s new election graphics will be particularly apparent on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008, for Super Tuesday as more than 20 states go to the polls to choose from among numerous candidates. The Election Center and its new graphics capabilities will be integral to CNN’s reporting during upcoming primary and caucus nights, the conventions in the summer and the general election on Nov. 4, 2008.

Throughout the day and evening on Jan. 3, CNN’s Emmy Award-winning political team will offer the latest news and thoughtful analysis. Reporting from the Election Center and from around the state of Iowa will be Dana Bash, congressional correspondent; Gloria Borger, senior political analyst; Jack Cafferty, commentator; Candy Crowley, senior political correspondent; Tom Foreman, correspondent; John King, chief national correspondent; Chris Lawrence, correspondent; Dan Lothian, Boston bureau chief; Joe Johns, correspondent; Suzanne Malveaux, White House correspondent; John Roberts, American Morning anchor; Bill Schneider, senior political analyst; Mary Snow, correspondent; Jeff Toobin, legal analyst; Jessica Yellin, congressional correspondent. CNN’s stellar group of nationally-know political contributors from both sides of the aisle will also be on hand to deliver expert analysis.

CNN’s stellar group of nationally known political contributors from both sides of the aisle, including Bill Bennett, Carl Bernstein, Donna Brazile, Amy Holmes, Roland Martin and J.C. Watts, will also be on hand to deliver expert analysis.

In addition, CNN will offer up-to-the minute reporting and analysis at CNNPolitics.com and on the CNN Political Ticker at www.CNN.com/ticker. CNN.com Live will have extended coverage of the results, with CNN.com anchor Melissa Long co-anchoring the coverage from the Election Center New York and CNN.com anchor Reggie Aqui co-anchoring from Atlanta.

CNN Radio will provide live anchored coverage of the caucuses with Lisa Desjardins anchoring from Iowa. CNN Newsource will provide its affiliates access to reports and live shots on-site from correspondent Samantha Hayes.

Each month in 2008, CNN Student News will be “Talking Democracy” by introducing an election-year topic in the show and online. From caucus to convention and primary to poll, CNN Student News will break down these election-year concepts. Teachers, parents and students can find the CNN Student News program and its curriculum materials online at www.CNNStudentNews.com and on Headline News from Monday through Friday at 4 a.m. (ET)
CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

Wilf Dinnick

CNN Pressroom - Network’s 32.8 Million Unique Users for November Tops Yahoo! News, MSNBC

The CNN Digital Network in November scored its largest unique audience ever in its 11-year history and – with 32.8 million unique users – bested Yahoo! News and the MSNBC Digital Network to be the top Current Events and Global News site for the month, according to Nielsen Online.

CNN.com reaffirmed its position as the leading Internet site for news and information last July with the unveiling of an intuitive, integrated Web site that puts users within a click of the global, national and local news and information they find most relevant to them. This major overhaul featuring new and innovative story-telling paradigms and live and on-demand video free of charge has lured more and more dedicated users.

The CNN Digital Network has attracted more than 30 million unique users for the last four months, with its largest audience of 32.8 million unique users coming in November. For the month, Yahoo! News had 30.9 million unique users and the MSNBC Digital Network had 29.8 million unique users, according to Nielsen.

During November, the CNN Digital Network also retained its No. 1 position among all News and Information Category sites for total usage minutes for the fourth month in a row, ranking ahead of Internet stalwarts Wikipedia and the Weather Channel.

The network also registered more than 1 billion usage minutes for the month of November, far exceeding the 857 million minutes users spent on Wikipedia.com, the 747 million minutes spent on the Weather Channel and the 728 million minutes spent on Yahoo! News. For the third month in a row, CNN Digital topped 1 billion total usage minutes and remains the only News and Information site in Nielsen Online’s records to break 1 billion minutes in a single month.

CNN.com is the world's No. 1 destination for online and wireless news, garnering the greatest audience share among current events and global news sites. Launched in 1995, CNN.com draws from the resources of CNN Worldwide and its many partners to provide consumers with the most enriching, immediate interaction with news anywhere, seamlessly combining articles, videos, images, interactive features and user-generated content. CNN.com’s news video offering – both live and on-demand – is unparalleled on the Web. CNN.com’s recent awards include an Edward R. Murrow award, a National Headliner award and two EPpy awards.

CNN Pressroom - Network Opens Bureau in Abu Dhabi; Expands Dubai Operations; Appoints Bureau Chief, Correspondent

Continuing its major growth and investment in international newsgathering, CNN Worldwide has begun expansion in its operations in the United Arab Emirates, which includes the appointment of a new international correspondent, a new bureau chief and the opening of an office with full broadcast and production capabilities in the capital city of Abu Dhabi, it was announced today by Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director for CNN International.

The expanded operation in the United Arab Emirates combines broadcast production facilities in the new Abu Dhabi Media Zone with increased newsgathering operations set up alongside an existing editorial team for the CNNArabic.com Web site. In addition to the expansion into Abu Dhabi, CNN also retains its base in Dubai which has an increased newsgathering role for CNN alongside the main CNNArabic.com operation.

This expansion of operations in UAE is key to developing the network’s coverage of the Gulf region and beyond and supports current CNN bureaus in Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo and Jerusalem.

As part of that expansion, Wilf Dinnick, most recently a Middle East correspondent for ABC News, becomes an international correspondent for CNN; and Samson Desta, formerly a supervising editor on CNN’s International Desk, becomes bureau chief.

“This is a major step forward for CNN as we ramp up our newsgathering capabilities around the world. Besides, the United Arab Emirates is the perfect location for an operation of this kind both editorially and logistically,” Maddox said. “This announcement comes quickly on the heels of the details we recently released about additional resources in India, Korea and Japan, and in the coming weeks, we will announce new editorial operations in Africa and parts of Europe.”

These new appointments and extended resources are all part of CNN’s on-going and major investment program in both newsgathering and editorial resources in order to generate and own more content for all of its platforms.

As bureau chief, Samson Desta will be the coordinator of coverage from both offices and will oversee the building of the infrastructure in key countries in the region, notably Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Africa, as well as across the Middle East. Desta, with CNN for more than 10 years, moves into this new role after serving as supervising editor on CNN’s International Desk, where he played a central role in coordinating coverage around the world for all of CNN’s networks and services. Major stories include international reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the tsunami in South Asia and the death of Pope John Paul II.

Joining CNN as the new UAE-based international correspondent, Wilf Dinnick comes from ABC News, where he served as Middle East correspondent. Prior to that, he worked for Canada’s Global National, CBC and CTV.

Dinnick has covered Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, the South Asia tsunami, Haiti, Ukraine and many other top stories in recent years. He will support CNN’s editorial needs across the region, which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Africa and the Middle East.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

Please be advised that CNN will provide uninterrupted, commercial-free coverage of the Iowa Republican and Democratic Presidential debates Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

On Wednesday, December 12th, CNN will cover the Iowa Republican Debate commercial-free from 2:00pm – 3:30pm ET, pre-empting CNN Newsroom. On Thursday, December 13th, CNN will cover the Iowa Democratic debate commercial-free from 2:00pm – 3:30pm ET, pre-empting CNN Newsroom.

As teased previously, CNN International has created a YouTube Channel for the network. You can view this at www.YouTube.com/CNN. While they have many videos listed, when one clicks on them it says that the video is currently unavailable. This may be a YouTube glitch.

Also, have you visited our YouTube Channel? Here you can view promos and videos for the networks of CNN Worldwide. We can be found at http://www.YouTube.com/CNNObservations. We have some new videos we will be posting shortly.

Update 12/07/07: Thanks to a trusted source, the reason I cannot view the videos is because they're restricted to those users outside the US, as this YouTube channel appears to be exclusively ran by CNN International.

CNN - Please note that this Thursday, December 6th, Headline News will air a special CNN Heroes pre-show broadcast LIVE from 8:00pm – 9:00pm ET, pre-empting Nancy Grace in the 8:00pm – 9:00pm hour.

This special will re-air Thursday, December 6th from 11:00pm – 12:00am ET and Friday, December 7th from 2:00am – 3:00am ET, pre-empting Showbiz Tonight in its usual 11:00pm and 2:00am spot.