Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Femi Oke Update

Got an E-Mail today from Femi Oke, who left CNN International recently to move to New York. She included a note about her new adventures in The Big Apple. Thanks for writing in, Femi! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Dear CNN Friends,
I am now based in New York where I'm the Senior Editor and news announcer for a new US national public radio morning news show called "The Takeaway". The show is hosted by John Hockenberry, Adaora Udoji and I anchor all the news headlines and updates. It's a live and conversational look at the daily news, current affairs and popular culture. "The Takeaway" is produced by the BBC, Public Radio International, The New York Times, WGBH Boston and WNYC Radio, so it’s an impressive collaboration! You can check in on me online at http://www.thetakeaway.org/

It's been such a great pleasure and more fun than I deserve to have spent over eight years of my career at CNN. The move to New York was primarily a personal one as my better half lives in New York City. However, CNN will forever be a part of me and I will never forget the amazing experience of broadcasting to the world.

Warmest wishes,
Femi Oke

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25 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

thanks for that dustin!! its so nice to hear from Femi. I hope she gets all the success in her life

2:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Femi,

If you are reading this, I've been a big CNN fan for years and am truly disappointed that you have left the network.

However, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. I know you will succeed in anything you do.

You will definitely be missed!

Don Lim
London

5:29 PM  
Blogger xgrinch said...

I wish Femi all the best!

8:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pendulum By Dele Momodu, Email: delemomodu@thisdayonline.com., 08.30.2008 wrote:

What’s Going on at CNN in Africa?

As Nigerians continue to rush their adverts and faces to CNN, there are indications that all is not well between the powerful news medium and its key African workers. In the past few years, CNN lost two of the most brilliant and hardworking Aficans on its channel Tumi Magkabo, the beautiful presenter from South Africa, and my favourite presenter, Jeff Koinange, the exceptionally talented Kenyan hero, who filed great reports from war-torn Iraq, both under mysterious circumstances.
The latest casualty at CNN is no other than our own sister Femi Oke, who was practically forced to throw in her letter of resignation recently. What makes her matter sad is that this was the lady who only recently attracted so much attention to the CNN/Zenith Bank deal on the weekend programme, INSIDE AFRICA. When she came to Nigeria she was celebrated rightly like the media goddess that she is. No reporter ever simplified weather forecasts like Femi Oke. She brought so much style to her reportage. Yet, we are told she was never regarded like a true star by her employers. Some people have alleged some racial undertones. And they seem justified when one considers the fact that the CNN reporter, Richard Quest, who ran into a major scandal recently has been amply protected and rehabilitated by CNN.
I pray that that the last woman standing, Aisha Sesay from Sierra Leone survives the politics at CNN.

7:47 AM  
Blogger orrekkellewwa said...

arI decided out of curiosity to check out femi Oke's whereabouts on google. I say "where abouts" becasuse, for some time now i have hardly tuned to CNN..... I suppose that's a topic for another day..

In my search I stumbled on this site and checked it out. I was however not surprised, rather my suspicions regarding Femi's sudden disappearance from CNN were confirmed.

I am glad Femi has moved on and wish her well. However, the "politics" in CNN are glaring and have always been there. People like Riz Khan, Shihab Ratansi, Anad Aidoo, Lucia Newman and a host of others have since moved on and are doing well and reporting "balanced views" on news around the world from their station.

A wake up call again for Africans , we must love ourselves, create our own niche and report positively on our achievements, strengths, diversity, etc to the rest of the world. Africa isn’t definitely all about HIV/AIDS, Famine, War, Poverty…

Inside Africa wont do it.. you know what i mean. ...

11:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

actually u've been d best thing that has happened to me you are my role model and i know u wont lead me astray.tholu want you at the top so that i can follow yoyr footstep and do better than you've done.wish u success.

3:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i said there is no CNN without Femi Oke....

4:34 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Femi is the best! that fact is that simple and beautiful.
Keep up the good works sis.

1:29 PM  
Blogger Dotty said...

Infact I am a regular viewer of CNN and have been wondering for a long time that I have not been seeing Femi Oke. So I decided to do a Google search.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavours Femi.Inside Africa and weather forecasts are not the same without you. The sky is your limit.Best wishes

3:05 AM  
Blogger Wilson O said...

Some Americans may cherish the high productivity and efficiency you exhibit on your job, but the fact that you are an African, in fact a "NIGERIAN" will make them do anything to remove you from your position. May God help all of us and bless us wherever we are and in whatever we do that are in harmony with his will.

Femi, they cannot break you, they can only make you.

www.skupping.com

6:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes--who does not love Femi?
But I think she wasn't given her due respect.I see this self-same thing happening to Aisha.She too will pack up one day and vamoose.CNN is a Western propaganda news outlet.
CNN is a white man's machine.Any people of color found there is just an attempt to fool people into believing that it is a truly multi-cultural corporation.
Femi said things about Africa that made me reel with anguish.I know she wouldn't have said them had she been the editor of these news items.
Good luck to you Femi,but try to promote Africanism in a positive way unlike the way you were forced to portray us on CNN in Inside Africa.
We are not always fighting and not always sick.We are healthy happy people.
This can be seen from your own appearance Femi.You were always smiling and I know some of those guys there thought you were just another African who had to smile always if he/she needed approval.
Take care,
Eel Shocker from Victoria in Cameroon.

11:42 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Yes--who does not love Femi?
But I think she wasn't given her due respect.I see this self-same thing happening to Aisha.She too will pack up one day and vamoose.CNN is a Western propaganda news outlet.
CNN is a white man's machine.Any people of color found there is just an attempt to fool people into believing that it is a truly multi-cultural corporation.
Femi said things about Africa that made me reel with anguish.I know she wouldn't have said them had she been the editor of these news items.
Good luck to you Femi,but try to promote Africanism in a positive way unlike the way you were forced to portray us on CNN in Inside Africa.
We are not always fighting and not always sick.We are healthy happy people.
This can be seen from your own appearance Femi.You were always smiling and I know some of those guys there thought you were just another African who had to smile always if he/she needed approval.
Take care,
Eel Shocker from Victoria in Cameroon.

11:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

dear fime,
In this world good thing is not alwayas in the begining but when it finish. I see you on top, you started on top you can only go higher in life i wish you the best.
you are my sister I mis you. I wish one day I will have media that is biger than cnn you can have it and no one can force you out ever.
God bless you sweet sister
Ekene from Dublin

3:04 PM  
Anonymous Dedayo Sanni said...

Femi,my sister from Naija,we all missed you but you got to move on whether you are forced to throw in the towel of resignation or not you remain the best.
CNN made you and we all appreciate you as one of us,carry on my sis.
Cheers,
Dedayo Sanni,
South Africa.

3:26 PM  
Blogger montebii2k4@yahoo.com said...

Hi Femi,leaving CNN unceremoniously
should be to you, the beginning of wisdom and to CNN,good riddance to bad rubbish.Any lesson,don't you ever forget your antecedents because when you look back,HOME will always be home and that 'home' is anywhere in the world where your HEART is,and where your interests are best served.God speed you.

5:18 AM  
Anonymous naijaBoy said...

Femi,thank you for handling maturely what ever made you leave CNN,personal or not.It's a credit to your career that you leave many things unsaid that might paint you as bitter or petty.Racism has always been subtle in the 'free' world but the important thing is to rise above it...in fact shrug it off like Barack Obama did and the sky will only be your stepping stone.

11:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hmmmmmmmmmmm, femi is made already whether CNN likes it or not. who is fooling who, they dont like africans not to talk of nigerians but they dont know that we are the salt of the world, they will always look for africans to do the job and discard when they want, more grease to your elbow CNN-

3:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nigerian and their Fertile imaginations ...if only Femi has come out to say this is what happened to me at CNN i would say well comments are justified but all this comments leaning towards race etc without really knowing what happened beats me.Tumi Makhagbo went back to South Africa to join the World cup committee i believe that is more prestigious,Jeff has never come out to defend himself neither did CNN accuse him of any thing Femi has moved on to be closer to her fiance who lives in New York she would not be the first to bring family first

10:20 AM  
Blogger akin said...

ok people. Femi moved because God wanted it so for her good, period! Femi just enjoy your present state and let it be. CHAO

10:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am a ghanaian and an African but am always shocked to hear Afrcans always blaming others for their mishaps.The fact that Femi is leaving cnn also means there is hatred at cnn.Please give us a break stop this ethnocentric deviance.This pretty lady is my admirer too, but she has given cogent reasons why she is leaving,yet the african linguists have already started giving their interpretations to her story.

Please wise up.Thanks

4:32 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

It was obvious something was amiss when all of a sudden Asisha Sessy took over the anchor of Inside Africa from Femi Oke without any formal handover. I am surprised (if it is true) that such a reverred international body would be engaging in issues of racial intolerance. I wish you well Femi. your experience gained over the years in CNN would elevate you to the right pedestal.

1:07 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Whatever the circumstances, Femi, I wish you the best!

11:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

having not experienced your refreshing weather reports or ancchoring CNN Africa blah blah, decided to google search you.its definitely CNN's loss,this. hope you get to where you will like to be. Tunde/Sagamu

12:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its now certain that CNN is full off shit by sacking Femi Oke, discouraging hardwork and retaining Quest thereby encouraging Negativity and drug users. Femi this is the begining of better things for you.. YOU GO GIRL!!!

11:38 AM  
Anonymous Smart Frempah said...

Why are people relating her leaving CNN to racism? She has explained why she has to leave Atlanta. I am black. Whites racists over blacks? Just check what is happening between black and black....even here in the UK. Black to black hatred in London...just to cite one is one of the worst. I am not defending racism but please give us a break.

3:28 PM  

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