Nima Elbagir joins CNN as international correspondent
CNN Press Release - Nima Elbagir joins CNN as a London-based international correspondent, it was announced today by Parisa Khosravi, senior vice president of international newsgathering for CNN Worldwide.
Below is the announcement Khosravi circulated to CNN staff Monday:
"I am proud to announce the appointment of Nima Elbagir as an International Correspondent, based in London. An award-winning journalist, Nima has been freelancing for us in the past year and covered a number of top stories including Afghanistan, the violence against women in Congo, and the referendum in Sudan.
Nima was born in Sudan and speaks fluent Arabic; from her base in London she will also be traveling and reporting from Africa and the Mideast.
Nima's experience, personal knowledge and background further strengthen our newsgathering team worldwide, as we continue our commitment to Content Ownership Strategy.
Weekly Observations - week ending January 29, 2011
This is our weekly round-up of the tidbits that didn't make it to a post of their own, but are worth noting, along with news items that we've covered that may need a second look.
- Suzanne Malveaux begins her post as anchor of the 11 AM-1 PM ET block of CNN Newsroom on CNN Domestic. She recently launched her Facebook page in support of the show. Join her there and welcome her to the new team.
- CNN International anchor Hala Gorani is en-route to Egypt for CNN's continuing coverage of anti-government protests in Egypt. She will join reporting teams already in the country which includes Ben Wedeman, Nic Robertson, Frederik Pleitgen and Ivan Watson.
- CNN photographer Mary Rogers had a close encounter with police in Egypt while covering protests on Friday. Her camera was confiscated and destroyed. Listen to Mary describe the events here.
- Piers Morgan Tonight takes a ratings hit with the Kardashian sisters.
- CNN International is just one of Turner's channels to be available at T3 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport, under a new deal signed this week.
- Fareed Zakaria snares exclusive interview with British Prime Miniter.
- Web fail #1: Piers Morgan still yet to be added to CNN International's primetime line-up pages - even though he airs across the network 3 times a day. Europe primetimeAsia primetime (Is that Fionnuala Sweeney we still see listed on the European primetime page?)
- Web fail #2: World One has yet to be added to the CNN Domestic on-air page. World Business Today is added (at the very bottom) but World One isn't added yet. World One airs on CNN Domestic at 5 AM ET/2 AM PT. (right now the page shows weekend programming but will go back to the weekday page on Monday)
- Former CNN New Orleans and Chicago-based National Correspondent Susan Roesgen has landed back in New Orleans to anchor "News with a Twist" Monday on ABC affiliate WGNO. Roesgen left CNN in July 2009 after her contract was not renewed. In April of that year she was criticized for comments made at the tax day tea parties, when she said the Chicago event was “anti-CNN since this is highly promoted by the right-wing, conservative network Fox.”
CNN Saturday Live Programming on Protests in Egypt
CNN Programming Release - CNN will air special editions of live Egypt-themed programming on Saturday include:
CNN/US and CNNI live simulcast programming all day on the protests in Egypt, includes primetime listed below:
6pmE - Crisis in Egypt with Wolf Blitzer and Hala Gorani Isha Sesay 7pmE - CNN Newsroom 8pmE - Crisis in Egypt with Wolf Blitzer and Hala Gorani Isha Sesay 9pmE - Crisis in Egypt with Wolf Blitzer and Hala Gorani Isha Sesay 10pmE - CNN Newsroom
UPDATE: Hala is headed to Egypt right now which explains the on-air personnel change.
Mark Whitaker Named Managing Editor of CNN Worldwide
CNN Press Release: Mark Whitaker has joined CNN Worldwide in a newly created role as executive vice president and managing editor, reporting directly to Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. Whitaker was most recently senior vice president and Washington bureau chief at NBC News and the former editor of Newsweek.
In this new role, Whitaker will lead editorial coverage across CNN’s multiple platforms and influence the overall approach, tone and direction of CNN’s reporting. He will assume this new position on Feb. 14, 2011 and will be based in New York.
As managing editor, Whitaker will be responsible for overseeing and integrating news and editorial content across all of CNN’s domestic and international networks and digital platforms, and charting long-term editorial strategy for the organization. Drawing upon CNN’s global newsgathering infrastructure, he will be tasked with leveraging the best of CNN Worldwide’s reporting to create a more powerful and distinctive dialogue about the top news stories of the day.
“Our aim is to position a strong managing editor, working closely with the head of each CNN network and Web site, to generate reporting and analysis that consistently stands out, sparks conversation and captures the true meaning and relevance of the events in the news,” said Walton. “Mark is a distinguished journalist and news executive who is experienced in leading large enterprises, and I am pleased that he will help direct our long-term editorial approach and strategy.”
“CNN plays an invaluable role in television and digital journalism as a source of non-partisan reporting and analysis, global perspective and groundbreaking documentaries,” said Whitaker. “I am excited to be joining Jim and his team in advancing that proud legacy.”
Whitaker most recently served as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief for NBC News, succeeding the late Tim Russert in July 2008. In that role, he was responsible for Washington-based programming for NBC and MSNBC, including Meet the Press and the network’s political coverage.
Before joining NBC in May 2007 as senior vice president, Whitaker was vice president and editor-in-chief of new ventures in the digital division of The Washington Post Company. He was editor of Newsweek from 1998 to 2006, during which time the magazine won more top editorial awards and nominations than at any time in its history, including four National Magazine Awards for coverage of the attacks of September 11, the Iraq War, the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the 2004 elections. As editor, Whitaker redesigned Newsweek to emphasize in-depth reporting and diversified opinion columns.
Whitaker joined Newsweek in 1981 and wrote and reported for the International section, covering such major stories as the conflicts in Central America, the Soviet Union and the Middle East. He served as business editor from 1987 to 1991, directing coverage of stories including the stock-market crash and the S&L crisis.
Whitaker graduated summa cum laude from Harvard in 1979. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and served on the editorial board of the Harvard Crimson. Whitaker attended Oxford University’s Balliol College for postgraduate studies as a Marshall Scholar from 1979-1981.
CNN has three reporting teams deployed across Egypt as tensions between protesters and the government intensify. Ben Wedeman, CNN's senior international correspondent based in Cairo, has been joined by Nic Robertson (reporting from Alexandria) and Frederik Pleitgen (reporting from Cairo and Suez).
In addition to journalists on the ground, Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN's international correspondent normally based in Abu Dhabi, is currently in Atlanta reporting across all of the network's platforms. CNN says it is also utilising their newsgathering hub in Abu Dhabi, as well as its International Desk in Atlanta, which is staffed with numerous Arab speakers and specialists.
Coverage of events in Egypt continues on television across Friday on CNN Domestic and CNN International. You can also track the latest news online with the following CNN links:
CNN Press Release:CNN.com names new hires for World, Religion beats and weekend programming
Meredith Artley, vice president and managing editor of CNN.com, today announced four new positions cutting across the site’s World and Religion beats, as well as its programming on the weekends.
Amy Cox has been named the World Editor from CNN.com. Last year, she headed up the site's first beat blog, Afghanistan Crossroads, and was one of the driving forces behind the Home and Away interactive and the Haiti iReport database. She led the digital efforts for Impact Your World and In America, and she has been integral in the development of numerous special reports through the years. In her new role, Cox will be responsible for serving international news to CNN.com's U.S. audience - from top priority projects on global security, to foreign affairs, and a variety of new franchises and series.
Joining CNN.com's new World Editor, Amar Bakshi is the site's new World Producer. Based out of New York, Bakshi will work closely with Fareed Zakaria and his team as well as Time.com to build out CNN.com's digital foreign affairs coverage. In 2007, he was at PostGlobal, the Washington Post's blog hosted by David Ignatius and Zakaria. He then was tapped by The Washington Post to travel the world as a one-man-band to create "How The World Sees America," a series of raw, personal multimedia reports on that topic. He has worked for the U.S. Ambassador at the UN, and is completing his master's degree in advanced international studies from Johns Hopkins.
For the last many months, Dan Gilgoff has been a prolific, smart writer and editor for the CNN Belief Blog, and is being promoted to Religion Editor on CNN.com's enterprise reporting team, lead by Jan Winburn. The religion beat is global, personal, political, and unites, divides and sparks passionate conversation. As a published author on religion and award-winning religion reporter, Gilgoff is the ideal person to lead CNN.com's reporting efforts on this complex topic.
Recognizing that CNN.com's weekend audience has different consumption behaviors that the weekday audience, the site also has named a new Weekend Editor, Krisi Keck Ramsey, to build a strategy around that and creatively program to it. For the last three years, Ramsey has been a critical member of CNN's Best Political Team on the digital side; and she will apply her expertise in political reporting and knowledge of CNN's Sunday shows to CNN.com's weekend programming.
CNN debuts a new special investigation from Drew Griffin this coming Sunday.
CNN Press Release: Drew Griffin reports for ‘Rogue Justice’ debuting Sunday, Jan. 30 at 8:00pm ET & PT on CNN/U.S.
Greg Taylor spent 17 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit. Floyd Brown, also innocent, was forcibly detained in a mental institution for 14 years. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) was at the center of both cases.
CNN correspondent Drew Griffin investigates for Rogue Justice, airing on CNN/U.S on Sunday, Jan. 30 at 8:00p.m. ET and PT, and replaying on Saturday, Feb. 5, also at 8:00p.m. ET and PT.
In Taylor’s case, the jury took just hours to sentence him to life, but the SBI had withheld evidence from the jury. In Brown’s case, an SBI agent claimed that he had written down verbatim a six-page confession that Brown had given him describing the murder in intricate detail. But Brown has the I.Q. of a seven-year-old and is incapable of even spelling his own name. Though there was no physical evidence linking Brown to the crime, the alleged confession resulted in his confinement to a mental institution.
“The SBI lab became the prosecution’s lab, not the justice system’s lab,” says Christine Mumma, Taylor’s attorney.
Taylor’s and Brown’s cases raised serious questions about the SBI and its investigations. An audit of the SBI’s crime lab ordered by the State Attorney General’s office in North Carolina found more than 200 cases between 1986 and 2003 in which blood test results were withheld from trial. In many cases, the evidence withheld would have helped the defense. In three of those cases, defendants were executed; four more remain on death row.
Taylor’s and Brown’s terrifying experiences and personal struggles to achieve justice can be seen in separate features on www.cnn.com, as well as a video excerpt from the documentary. Digital material from Rogue Justice will be available beginning today, Thursday, Jan. 27.
Rogue Justice was produced by Brian Rokus and Taryn Fixel. Kathy Slobogin is managing editor and Scott Matthews is the executive producer for CNN’s Special Investigations and Documentaries unit.
CNN Will Broadcast GOP, Tea Party Responses To State Of The Union Address
CNN Press Release: Comprehensive Coverage of the Address and Subsequent Responses Begins at 8 p.m. ET
Following President Obama’s State of the Union address this evening, CNN will air the Republican response, delivered by Rep. Paul Ryan, followed by the Tea Party response, delivered by Rep. Michele Bachmann. Both responses will be broadcast live and in their entirety.
“The Tea Party has become a major force in American politics and within the Republican Party,” explained Sam Feist, political director and vice president of Washington-based programming. “Hearing the Tea Party’s perspective on the State of the Union is something we believe CNN’s viewers will be interested in hearing and we are happy to include this perspective as one of many in tonight’s coverage."
Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, joined by Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King and Piers Morgan will headline the network’s coverage of the president’s address to the nation and the responses that follow beginning at 8 p.m. Shortly before the 9 p.m. State of the Union address, King will preview the president’s remarks from Capitol Hill, where he will be reporting live throughout the evening.
Additionally, Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer, along with senior political analysts Gloria Borger and David Gergen, and political contributors Roland Martin and Erick Erickson will add insight and analysis.
The network will provide its signature three-dimensional graphics to help explain information and data pertaining to issues the president is expected to raise during his speech. Ali Velshi and Joe Johns will utilize the virtual tool to present comprehensive analysis on the current economic climate, employment rates, impact of health care reform and more.
A special edition of John King, USA will air live from Capitol Hill at 7 p.m. King will be joined by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN). Anderson Cooper 360 ° will follow the State of the Union coverage at 11 p.m.
CNN Politics.com will also have all of the latest articles, op-eds and analysis leading up to the State of the Union as well as interactive features and photo galleries. CNN iReport, the network’s user-generated news community, is asking iReporters to watch the speech and share their thoughts.
Weekly Observations - week ending January 22, 2011
This is our weekly round-up of the tidbits that didn't make it to a post of their own, but are worth noting, along with news items that we've covered that may need a second look.
- We confirmed with CNN recently that London-based anchor/correspondent Sasha Herriman is no longer with CNN International. Herriman joined CNN in February 2007 previously freelancing at the network after coming over from ITV News.
- We also confirmed that former London-based International Security Correspondent Paula Newton is now an International Correspondent based in Canada.
- CNÑ Anchor Daniel Viotto has officially left the network. He anchored his last edition of Encuentro con Daniel Viotto on Friday, November 19th but finished out the remainder of his contract working behind-the-scenes. He tweeted on Friday (translated) "This is it. This is my last day job. [Fourteen years] with CNNE. Strange but good feeling." Viotto started with CNÑ back in 1997 when the network launched and is one of the last of CNN's original anchors.
- CNN.com's Quest Means Businessshow blog has now been incorporated into the newly-revamped Business 360 blog. The new blog revamp features a design focused around the CNN International Business Team.
CNN International Top Viewing For Asia-Pacific Business Leaders
CNN Press Release: The latest Pan Asia Cross Media Survey (PAX) (2009 Q4 to 2010 Q3) sees CNN once again confirmed as the most watched international news channel amongst most senior business people throughout the region.
* Each week, a million more affluent and influential viewers tune in to CNN than any other news or business channel.
* More Top Managers tune into CNN than any other international channel, on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
* CNN is clearly the preferred channel for high income earners, whose personal monthly income reaches more than US$10K.
* CNN** has maintained its leadership online, with 2.5 times more monthly Top Management visitors to CNN.com than to the next placed regional media site (**includes CNN.com plus CNNMoney.com)
"We are absolutely delighted with these results which again vindicate the network's ongoing investment in newsgathering and programming content. There is no better indication than the fact that in a single week, our Top Management audience is the equivalent of what it takes the next placed channel a whole month to acquire. When coupled with our monthly website reach, CNN's pre-eminence as the region's leading multi-platform news provider is unequivocal," said William Hsu, Vice President, News Advertising Sales, CNN Asia Pacific.
About PAX Survey:
PAX is a syndicated, cross-media survey conducted by Synovate, which measures TV viewing, print readership and website audience across 11 major markets in Asia Pacific, covering Australia (Sydney & Melbourne), Bangkok, Hong Kong, India (Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore), Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo.
UPDATE:Rod Stewart is bumped from this week. Amended line up is below.
Monday, January 24th - Former New York City Mayor and possible Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani
Tuesday, January 25th - Special State of the Union Coverage
Wednesday, January 25th - Best-selling author and Pastor Joel Osteen, and his wife Victoria Osteen
Thursday, January 26th - Reality Stars Kim and Kourtney Kardashian
Friday, January 27th - Golden Globe Winner Colin Firth
CNN Press Release: After a highly anticipated first week with a blockbuster line up featuring Oprah Winfrey, Howard Stern, Condoleezza Rice, Ricky Gervais and George Clooney, Piers Morgan Tonight announces week two.
Monday, January 24th - Former New York City Mayor and possible Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani
Tuesday, January 25th - Special State of the Union Coverage
Wednesday, January 25th - Reality Stars Kim and Kourtney Kardashian
Thursday, January 26th - Rock and Roll legend Rod Stewart
Friday, January 27th - Golden Globe Winner Colin Firth
CNN Plans Comprehensive Coverage of State of the Union Address, GOP Response
CNN Press Release - Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, joined by Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King and Piers Morgan will headline the network’s coverage of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, Jan. 25, beginning at 8 p.m. Shortly before the 9 p.m. address, King will preview the president’s remarks from Capitol Hill, where he will be reporting live throughout the evening.
Additionally, Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer, along with senior political analysts Gloria Borger and David Gergen, and political contributors Roland Martin and Erick Erickson will add insight and analysis.
The network will provide its signature three-dimensional graphics to help explain information and data pertaining to issues the president is expected to raise during his speech. Ali Velshi and Joe Johns will utilize the virtual tool to present comprehensive analysis on the current economic climate, employment rates, impact of health care reform and more.
A special edition of John King, USA will air live from Capitol Hill at 7 p.m. and a special edition of Anderson Cooper 360° will follow the State of the Union coverage at 11 p.m.
CNNPolitics.com will offer extensive coverage of the State of the Union address with members of the Best Political Team live-blogging and providing real time analysis on the Political Ticker. Additionally, the address will be live-streamed on CNN.com/Live, via the CNN App for iPad, and CNN App for iPhone and iPod touch.
CNNPolitics.com will also have all of the latest articles, op-eds and analysis leading up to the State of the Union as well as interactive features and photo galleries. CNN iReport, the network’s user-generated news community, is asking iReporters to watch the speech and share their thoughts.
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 Press Release - New Network Daytime Lineup: Phillips, Malveaux, Velshi and Baldwin
Suzanne Malveaux has been named anchor of CNN Newsroom, it was announced today by Ken Jautz, executive vice president of CNN/U.S. Malveaux will relocate to Atlanta and will anchor CNN Newsroom live from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. She joins CNN’s Kyra Phillips, Ali Velshi and Brooke Baldwin, who will continue to anchor CNN Newsroom from 9-11 a.m., 1-3 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. respectively. (All times Eastern Standard Time.) Malveaux begins her CNN Newsroom anchor duties on January 31.
Malveaux, who has worked in CNN’s White House unit for nearly a decade, has played a key role as a member of the network’s Best Political Team on Television and as the primary substitute anchor for The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. During her career, Malveaux has covered three presidents, presidential campaigns, and key stories including the War in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and the economic crisis.
Since joining the network in 2002, Malveaux has interviewed President Obama and the First Lady; former presidents George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton; and former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush among numerous other newsmakers. During the 2008 election, Malveaux reported and hosted an in-depth documentary on then presidential-nominee Barack Obama.
“Suzanne is a welcome addition to the CNN Newsroom lineup, adding a depth of experience as well as fresh perspective to our daytime coverage,” said Jautz. “We are very pleased to expand Suzanne’s role so that we can showcase her political expertise as well as her broader strengths as a journalist.”
“I’m looking forward to this new chapter, bringing news and stories that impact viewers in and outside the Beltway,” said Malveaux.
CNN Newsroom is the destination for breaking news and international reporting from its state-of-the-art interactive studio. Kyra Phillips has anchored the program since 1999. Ali Velshi and Brooke Baldwin joined CNN Newsroom in 2010.
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 Press Release:Amber Lyon Reports for ‘Selling the Girl Next Door’ for Sunday, Jan. 23 at 8:00pm ET & PT on CNN/U.S.
Selling the Girl Next Door takes viewers into the world of underage American girls caught up in the violent sex trade. Hundreds of thousands of girls under the age of 18 are ensnared into lives of prostitution annually, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Many are runaways or “throwaways” trapped in “the oldest profession” by pimps who sell them using modern sales and marketing techniques.
In a year-long investigation, CNN correspondent Amber Lyon reveals the devastating realities of the business of underage sex – speaking to a young teen runaway sold online from a Las Vegas hotel, the men that obsessively seek Internet sex connections, and women long into careers as sex workers who were trafficked as teens or children.
Selling the Girl Next Door debuts Sunday, Jan. 23 at 8:00p.m. ET and PT on CNN/U.S. Selling the Girl Next Door will debut on CNN International on Saturday, Feb. 5 (please check local listings for airtimes).
Along the way, Lyon interviews well-known brothel owner Dennis Hof. Hof’s sex workers describe their own dark pasts and the frightening underworld of underage sex trafficking.
Lyon also goes undercover herself, posting an online ad, and taking calls from solicitors – and Internet pimps – to understand more about how girls are victimized by traffickers.
An interactive map on www.cnn.com/siu, posted after Wednesday, Jan. 20, will share Lyon’s coast-to-coast journey – from Maryland, Missouri, Tennessee and Nevada – trailing runaways, finding their families, meeting sex workers, and visiting a “Johns’ school” where convicted solicitors are forced to face the social and criminal consequences of their actions.
Selling the Girl Next Door was produced by Steve Turnham. Courtney Yager was associate producer. Kathy Slobogin is managing editor for CNN’s Special Investigations and Documentaries unit. Scott Matthews is the executive producer for the unit.
HLN's Nancy Grace last night launched her biggest initiative yet -- a mission to find 50 missing people in 50 days.
Through her HLN program, CNN's network of social media users and CNN iReport, Grace hopes to bring attention to missing person cases that have never been headline news.
CNN has a Q&A with Nancy Grace about the 'Find 50 People in 50 Days' campaign.
CNN: What inspired you to focus your show solely on missing persons?
Nancy Grace: Well, you’re in the news business just like us - although I don’t really think of myself that way, I think of myself more as a prosecutor - and our news cycle chews somebody and spits them out every 24 hours. And I get it. I’m not trashing that because there’s more news to report that people want to know, need to know and should know.
I understand that you can’t stay with a case forever. You’ve got to pick up and move on to the next group of people that need your help. But this is a real chance to go back and pick up those pieces and put them back together again.
When I was prosecuting, I got the satisfaction of being called in on a crime scene, helping to analyze and process the scene, investigate it, take it to the grand jury… after conviction, take it myself to an appeals court and argue it. I could see the end. I would take the case to fruition.
We don’t get to do that. We cover cases as long as there’s news, and when there’s not news anymore, we move on to cases that have news, more people that need to be found. Many of them stick in my mind and in my heart; and my EP [Executive Producer], Dean Sicoli, same way. And my staff, same way. We saw this as an opportunity to try and go back and look at the cases that remain unsolved and try again.
CNN: Does each installment of "America's Missing" focus on one missing person?
Grace: Yes, exactly. 50 people in 50 nights.
CNN: Did the missing persons have to have gone missing recently, or is there no timeframe?
Grace: Absolutely no timeframe. In fact, tonight we may lead off with the case of a female child who’s just gone missing and then go into the main story that we’re covering just so we can get it out there.
CNN Press Release:Isha Sesay Joins Anderson Cooper 360° Beginning Monday, January 17th
Isha Sesay is an anchor for CNN International based at the network’s global headquarters in Atlanta. Sesay joins the Anderson Cooper 360° team and will provide news updates throughout the hour. She is expected to appear on the program on a nightly basis while still continuing her duties at CNN International.
In addition to her role on AC360, Sesay anchors 10am ET edition of International Desk Monday through Thursday from Atlanta. She also hosts and reports for Inside Africa, CNN International’s award-winning, weekly program dedicated to providing viewers with an inside look at political, economic, social and cultural affairs and trends in Africa.
A seasoned journalist, Sesay has covered numerous breaking news and world news events such as the kidnapping of British toddler, Margaret Hill, in the Niger Delta; death of Slobodan Milosevic; Liberia’s historic election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf; the hospitalization of Ariel Sharon; the foiled transatlantic plane bomb plot; the Israeli-Hezbollah war; and the Live Earth concert in Johannesburg, South Africa.
While on assignment in South Africa in 2007, she covered the launch of ‘The Elders’- an initiative founded by Nelson Mandela to tackle the world’s intractable problems. Sesay also traveled to Nigeria to cover the country’s historic presidential elections in April 2007, which saw the transfer of power from one civilian government to another for the first time in the nation’s history. While there, she conducted one-on-one interviews with both the outgoing president Olusegun Obasanjo, and the new leader, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Sesay joined CNN in November 2005 from the UK broadcaster ITN, where she anchored ITV’s Early Morning News programme, as well news bulletins for the UK’s most watched breakfast programme ‘GMTV.’Prior to this, Sesay spent over three years presenting ‘Good Morning Sports Fans’ for Sky Sports. From 1998-2001, Sesay presented a wide range of programmes across the BBC networks.
A Briton of Sierra Leonean parentage, Sesay holds a BA honours English degree from Trinity College, Cambridge University.
CNN Plans Live Programming of President Obama’s Speech in Arizona
CNN Press Release - CNN will provide live programming of President Obama’s speech at 8 p.m. ET with Wolf Blitzer anchoring. Chief national correspondent John King and national political correspondent Jessica Yellin will provide coverage of the victims’ memorial service and the latest details about Saturday's tragedy in Tucson. Tonight’s coverage also will include historian Douglas Brinkley, CNN senior political analyst David Gergen, and former presidential speechwriter Michael Gerson.
Beginning at 8 p.m. ET, the President’s speech also will be live streamed on CNN.com and via the CNN App for iPad, and CNN App for iPhone and iPod touch.
CNN Invites Facebook Users to Take ‘The CNN Challenge'
CNN Press Release - CNN today expanded The CNN Challenge, CNN.com’s interactive online news trivia quiz, to Facebook. The quiz focuses on historical news events and can be found as an application on Facebook and on a tab on the CNN fan page on Facebook.
The CNN Challenge on Facebook features a “beat the clock” format featuring images, video and sound. Online users have 45 seconds to answer five questions with scoring determined by how quickly users answer them correctly.
Users can invite and challenge their Facebook Friends, both in the game and on their Facebook walls. Additionally, users can also compete against their friends and climb the “Friends Leaderboard.” Users leading the “Global Leaderboard” will be featured weekly on the CNN Facebook Fan Page. Once a user finishes playing The CNN Challenge on Facebook, they can click “Go to CNNChallenge.com” to be redirected to the full online version of the game.
The CNN Challenge launched in 2009 as part of the relaunch of the new CNN.com, and presents trivia questions on both historical news events and the top stories of the week, guided by various anchors from CNN, HLN and CNN International.
HLN's Morning Express Sports Anchor Auditions for Chicago Talk Show
Legendary Chicago Media Reporter Robert Feder writes in his Time Out Chicago Blog that Morning Express with Robin Meade sports anchor Rafer Weigel has auditioned for a new show designed to replace The Oprah Winfrey Show in the Chicago market.
WLS-TV has been holding auditions of nearly 200 potential candidates, and Feder writes that Rafer Weigel is one of those under consideration. He is not new to the Chicago area, his father, legendary Chicago sports anchor Tim Weigel, anchored sports for WMAQ-TV, WLS-TV and WBBM-TV.
Weigel joined CNN Sports in 2008 after stops in San Diego and San Francisco, California.
We'll watch this story and keep you posted.
Update from HLN Spokesperson: (12:02 PM ET) Rafer is a great part of the HLN team and the Morning Express family and he will be here for a long time.
Update: (1:32 PM ET) Looks like Rafer made a statement to Robert Feder: "I’ve decided not to pursue the WLS job and instead stay at HLN."
CNN Press Release - One year after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti killing tens of thousands of people, CNN revisits the embattled country to see if progress has been made, reporting across many networks and platforms, including CNN/U.S., CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN.com and CNN Radio.
From the billion dollars pledged – but not delivered – by the international community to the seemingly permanent tent city, CNN looks at what promises have been kept and which ones have been broken. CNN’s Gary Tuchman, CNN International's Ivan Watson, CNN Radio's Steve Kastenbaum and CNN en Español's Diulka Perez will report on these issues and more this week from Port-au-Prince. Also, tune in to Anderson Cooper 360° from 10-11pm ET this Tuesday and Wednesday for special Keeping Them Honest segments on Haiti.
Anderson Cooper 360° to Air AIDS Special on Jan. 14
CNN Press Release - Hope Survives: 30 Years of AIDS will Air Friday, January 14th at 9pm ET
CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360° will dedicate a special hour to AIDS in America as we approach 30 years since the first diagnosis. The special will focus on the role stigma continues to play in the spread of HIV both here in the U.S. and around the world, and how through education and scaled up prevention there is hope for an HIV-free future generation. The show will also explore the latest medical breakthroughs and discoveries.
In addition to Anderson Cooper’s in-depth interview with Sir Elton John about his foundation’s work to end the disease, the show will also include interviews with Academy-award winning actress Mo’nique, Project Runway’s Mondo Guerra, Phill Wilson, Founder and Executive Director of the Black AIDS Institute and co-founder of Greater Than AIDS, a new national movement developed with the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The special hour will also feature emotional clips from famous personalities on their personal “Deciding Moment” that changed how they think about the disease and inspired them to get involved, including Academy-Award winning actress Susan Sarandon, actress Sharon Stone, singer Barry Manilow, basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar, comedienne Margaret Cho, Author Maya Angelou and Jeanne White Ginder, the mother of the late Ryan White.
Sir Elton John and his Elton John AIDS Foundation have been leaders in the fight against AIDS for over 18 years, serving vulnerable at-risk populations without judgment, reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination, educating people about HIV/AIDS, and supporting science-based, culturally appropriate HIV prevention programming.
“I’m deeply grateful to CNN and Anderson Cooper for focusing a special hour of programming to bring attention to the continuing impact of HIV/AIDS, not only internationally, but also right here in the United States,” said Sir Elton John “We’ve all become way too complacent about a deadly epidemic that is only getting bigger, especially when we already have creative readily accessible prevention methods that we know to be highly effective at curtailing the spread of this disease right now.”
Established in the US in 1992 and in the UK in 1993 by Sir Elton John, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations supporting innovative HIV prevention programs, efforts to eliminate HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination, and direct care and support services for people living with the disease. Together, both entities have raised $220 million for worthy programs in 55 countries around the globe since inception. For more information, please visit www.ejaf.org.
HLN welcomes executive producer for new Dr. Drew show: Burt Dubrow
Here is a look at an note from Bill Galvin, Senior VP at HLN. In this note to staff, he announces the Executive Producer of the new show Dr. Drew set to premiere in the coming months.
To: HLN /CNN colleagues From: Bill Galvin Date: January 11, 2011 Subject: Executive Producer Announcement
Please join me in welcoming Burt Dubrow, who will be the Executive Producer of the new Dr. Drew show set to launch this spring on HLN.
For brevity's sake I'll refrain from detailing all of the credits in Burt's illustrious career, a fascinating path that led to EP roles with Discovery, MTV, GSN and ABC, just to name a few. Along the way, Burt became known as an innovator in the daily talk show genre, highly regarded for his ability to launch shows and develop talent. The likes of Jerry Springer and Sally Jessy Raphael enjoyed ground-breaking and sustained success under Burt's creative guidance.
In his new role with HLN, Burt's initial vision for the Dr. Drew show aligns with the network's brand promise and, very importantly, with Drew's own hopes for the show. He’s already started to meet key contacts at his new home base in the LA Bureau and will begin to take the lead in staffing the rest of the show team.
To this day, Burt describes himself as a "student of television," while Drew calls him "a driving force." Scot Safon notes that "Burt has a track record of building very successful programming around top talent...in Dr. Drew, he's getting the chance to break some new ground on the TV landscape."
Burt mentioned to me that he’s genuinely flattered to be a part of the HLN family. Given his long list of professional accomplishments, I believe the HLN family is fortunate to now call Burt one of our own.
CNN Photo Release - CNN's Piers Morgan interviews former U.S. Secretary Of State Condoleeza Rice during a taping of Piers Morgan Tonight on Monday, January 10, 2011 in New York. The show is slated to air on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 9pm ET.
CNN Press Release - Award-winning journalist Bryan Monroe has joined CNN as editor of CNNPolitics.com, it was announced today by Meredith Artley, vice president and managing editor of CNN.com. In this newly created role, Monroe will lead the editorial planning and content strategy for CNN's online and mobile political coverage from the network’s DC Bureau.
“Bryan is an outstanding addition to the talented CNNPolitics.com team, and also to CNN’s DC bureau, including Sam Feist, Edith Chapin and their teams," said Artley. “His experience and leadership will expand and deepen our political reporting across CNN.com, The Political Ticker and all of our mobile products.”
Most recently, Monroe was a visiting professor at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, and is a former president of NABJ, the National Association of Black Journalists. Also, while at Knight-Ridder in 2005, he helped lead the team in Biloxi, MS, that won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for their coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
"I am thrilled to be joining CNN and the nation’s ‘best political team,’ particularly at a time when political coverage is at the front and center of the national conversation," said Monroe. "Helping extend those conversations across the Web and mobile devices is an exciting challenge." Prior to his professorship at Northwestern, Monroe served as Vice President and Editorial Director at Ebony and Jet magazines in Chicago. At the magazines, he led the coverage of the 2008 presidential elections and conducted the first interview with then President-elect Barack Obama following his November victory; and also had the last major interview with pop star Michael Jackson before his death in 2007.
CNN Press Release - Beginning Monday, January 17, CNN/US will add two more hours of live programming to its weekday lineup. CNN will now broadcast live from 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. each weekday. (ALL TIMES EASTERN).
At 4a, CNN will air World Business Today, hosted by Charles Hodson and Andrew Stevens from London and Hong Kong. At 5 a.m., CNN will broadcast World One, hosted by Zain Verjee and Monita Rajpal from London, which is a general news program covering both international and domestic top stories. Both programs are simulcasts with CNN International and will air live around the world in more than 200 countries. CNN’s American Morning begins a 6a.m. (ET).
CNN - CNN correspondents and producers are covering the shooting in Tucson, AZ that wounded several people, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and killed 6 others, including Federal Judge John Roll.
CNN’s reporting team as of Sunday, January 9:
Susan Candiotti – Tucson Rand[i] Kaye – Tucson Casey Wian – Arizona Ted Rowlands – Arizona Drew Griffin – Arizona Jessica Yellin – Tucson Kiran Chetry – Tucson Jeanne Meserve – Washington, DC Brianna Keilar – Washington, DC Dana Bash – Washington, DC Kate Bolduan – Washington, DC Ed Henry – Washington, DC John King – Washington, DC Wolf Blitzer – Washington, DC Dr. Sanjay Gupta – Atlanta
CNN Press Release - In addition to premiere guest Oprah Winfrey, announced at last week’s Television Critics Association in Pasadena, Piers Morgan Tonight unveils a blockbuster first week of guests featuring the biggest names in television, film, politics, and comedy. Following Ms. Winfrey on January 17 is Sirius Radio star Howard Stern, Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Comedian and Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais, and George Clooney.
Guests confirmed in following weeks include former New York City Mayor and possible Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, Former Massachusetts Governor and Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Kid Rock, Rod Stewart, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, and Donald and Melania Trump.
Piers Morgan Tonight debuts January 17th at 9pm ET on CNN and is a nightly, hour-long, prime-time interview show featuring the most interesting, important, and entertaining people in the world.
Jonathan Wald is the executive producer of Piers Morgan Tonight.
(Photo provided by PMT Digital Producer Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak on Twitter) features Billy Bush from Access Hollywood.)
CNN Domestic unveiled a new look earlier today. The CNN logo is now enclosed inside a white box. The live indicator still appears above the CNN logo, but it no longer sits in front of a map. The animated program box that previously sat directly beside the logo is now on the far left.
Below is a small selection of pictures from today's American Morning and CNN Newsroom. Click on the pictures below for a larger view.
CNN International Alters Schedule For Piers Morgan Tonight
CNN International has advised CNN Observations of their new weekday schedule for the week commencing January 17 - Piers Morgan Tonight's launch week.
As previously noted, Piers Morgan Tonight will air 3 times a day across CNN International. The first airing is a simulcast with CNN Domestic at 0200 GMT (2100 eastern). The program will also air in the Asian and European primetime at 1200 GMT (2000 Hong Kong) and 2000 GMT.
With the addition of Piers Morgan Tonight, the delayed broadcast of The Situation Room has been dropped from the weekday schedule - although the "best of" The Situation Room is still scheduled for its usual weekend airing. World One, which airs weeknights at 2000 GMT, will move to 1000 GMT.
Forum users have noted the presence of two new faces over the last few months on CNN International.
Nima Elbagir has been reporting on a variety of stories out of Africa, while Nina dos Santos has filed several reports - dating back from early December - from CNN London.
After receiving some email enquiries, CNN Observations reached out to CNN International to confirm the status of both Nima and Nina, and CNN confirms that both correspondents are only freelancing for the network at this stage.
You can see videos of reports Nima Elbagir has filed for CNN by clicking here.
You can see videos of reports Nina dos Santos has filed for CNN by clicking here.
Inside Cable News managed to get a little bit of information on the (so far) mysterious CNN Freedom Project from a CNN spokesperson today. You can read that here.
Meanwhile, CNN International anchor Kristie Lu Stout tweeted this on Thursday:
Researching a series on human trafficking. Profiles, photos, maps, apps... Pls send any tips my way. Thank you. #nscnn
After I asked whether it was for The CNN Freedom Project, Kristie confirmed via a tweet:
Yup -- it's for the CNN Freedom Project. No details yet. Will let you know when I can. #nscnn
CNN Press Release - Dr. Drew, the new HLN primetime program hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky, will debut on the network on Monday, March 28th at 9 pm ET, it was announced today by Scot Safon, executive vice president, HLN. Pinsky’s nightly program will focus on the newsmakers at the center of the day’s most-talked-about HLN news stories, focusing on the motivations and issues that drive the “extremely human” behaviors at the core of these events.
“We’ll start with honest discussions and direct questions, and we’ll hear from a wide range of people with diverse perspectives and experiences. We’ll dig deep to discover what is really going on behind the headlines to get at the real experiences happening to the people involved,” said Pinsky. “There will be resolution to the discussion, and what began as a distant headline will become relevant to the viewers. At the center of these stories are issues and behaviors worth examining closely, and worth talking about with depth, compassion and insight.”
“There are events and news stories that strike a chord with all Americans, and what Dr. Drew does better than anyone is to focus on the human behaviors of those people in the middle of these events,” said Safon. “This level of discussion and examination in this format does not currently exist on television. We’re proud to give viewers a chance to see Dr. Drew each night.” Dr. Drew Pinsky is a practicing physician with a private practice and is on staff at Huntington Memorial Hospital. He is also Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Keck USC School of Medicine.
Dr. Drew remains the host of the radio show LOVELINE, which is nationally syndicated by Westwood One. Dr. Drew and Vh1 teamed up for the first reality TV series to depict the process of overcoming addiction. Now in its fourth season, CELEBRITY REHAB with DR. DREW was critically acclaimed by the addiction community for pulling back the veil of secrecy about what goes on in rehabilitation programs. SOBER HOUSE chronicles the sober living process. Dr. Drew is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America (Harper-Collins) and Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again (Harper-Collins). Dr. Drew co-authored with Dr. Mark Young the first academic study on celebrities and narcissism. The study was published in the Journal of Research in Personality (Elsevier) and received worldwide press coverage.
After receiving his undergraduate degree from Amherst College and his M.D. from the University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Dr. Drew continued with USC for his residency. He then became chief resident at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. Dr. Drew is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the California Medical Association and the American Society of Internal Medicine.
HLN is a CNN Worldwide network offered in more than 90 million households in the U.S. 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 U.S.; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.
Oprah Winfrey to be first guest on first 'Piers Morgan Tonight' broadcast
Alex Welperin over at TVNewser is reporting that Daytime talk Diva Oprah Winfrey will be the first guest when Piers Morgan Tonight launches January 17th at 9:00 PM ET.
Morgan will announce the news at the Television Critics Association Winter press tour in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon.
You can check in with the show's website at CNN.com/piers.
Turner Broadcasting CEO: Parker Spitzer "A Work In Progress"
The Hollywood Reporter writes on Turner Broadcasting CEO, Phil Kent, and his comments at an investor conference presentation from Wednesday. The paragraphs relating to CNN are below, but you can read the full article here. You can also listen the entire webcast here (registration required).
The primetime ratings situation at CNN is "a bit more concerning" than other issues his division faces, Kent said, but highlighted that U.S. primetime only amounts to 10% of total revenue for CNN. Still, a show-by-show rebuilding is key in primetime, he said, adding that he has "very high expectations" for Piers Morgan's upcoming new show.
Meanwhile, Spitzer Parker is "a work in progress," he told the conference. It has the right form and idea, but he isn't quite happy yet with its execution, meaning it is "not everything we want it to be at this point," Kent said at the Phoenix conference, parts of which were webcast.
A brief graphic teasing 'The CNN Freedom Project' has been airing on CNN International for a couple of weeks. The only clue as to what the project may be can be found on the text that forms part of the logo.
Not to be outdone by Oprah, CNN International's travel program, CNNgo, is also heading down under to explore Sydney.
CNN Press Release:This month CNNGo hits the streets - and surf - of Sydney, Australia.
CNNGo strolls the narrow lanes of Paddington and stops for a drink in Darlinghurst with two rising stars in the fashion world - brother & sister designers Marc and Camilla. One of Sydney's acclaimed young chefs, Jason Saxby, welcomes the crew into the kitchen at the world renowned Quay restaurant, before leading a culinary tour featuring some of the city's best coffee - and a treat for any carnivore - its best butcher as well.
The sunrise at famed Bondi Beach always impresses. CNNGo is up early to catch it with photographer/blogger/surf forecaster Eugene Tan of the website Aquabumps.com. Meanwhile, Bondi's Head Lifeguard Bruce Hopkins - aka "Hoppo" - directs visitors to one of Sydney's most legendary cliff walks. All that, plus the program heads into the pounding waves of the Northern Beaches with World Junior Champion Surfer Laura Enever.
That and more, this month on CNNGo.
Airtimes
Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore and Taipei
Thursday Jan 13 at 430pm Friday Jan 14 at 1230pm Saturday Jan 15 at 230pm & 830pm Sunday Jan 16 at 430am & 330pm Monday Jan 17 at 230am & 1130am
Sydney
Thursday Jan 13 at 730pm Friday Jan 14 at 330pm Saturday Jan 15 at 530pm & 1130pm Sunday Jan 16 at 730am & 630pm Monday Jan 17 at 530am & 230pm
About the program
CNNGo is a monthly show featuring a unique take on global destinations, bringing views from genuine insiders on what gives dynamic cities in Asia and beyond their distinctive buzz. Taking its lead from the digital CNNGo.com, whether you're a local, a business or leisure visitor, or even just a cultural voyeur, CNNGo delivers the best of each city by those who know it best. More information on the show, extended interviews and additional interactive content is available at www.cnngo.com/tv.
TV Newser reports that HLN and Nancy Grace have signed a new multi-year contract after reports suggest that Grace had "serious talks" with Fox Business Network.
"Interestingly, the deal with HLN comes after Grace and her agent had “serious” discussions with Fox Business Network about bringing her program there, two people close to the situation say.
Grace has a number of friends at Fox News, and has appeared on the network on a few occasions in recent years to promote her other projects. FBN is also home to another legal show, Andrew Napolitano‘s “Freedom Watch.”"
CNN Press Release:Tom Goldstone Named Executive Producer of CNN’s FAREED ZAKARIA GPS
Award-winning television news producer Tom Goldstone, most recently senior producer of CNN’s FAREED ZAKARIA GPS, has been named executive producer of the program.
In the announcement made today by Bart Feder, senior vice president of current programming for CNN/U.S, Feder cited Goldstone’s 15+ years of experience in producing both live news and television magazine programming. Prior to joining CNN in 2003 to work on Paula Zahn NOW and special projects, and later, Campbell Brown, Goldstone worked at ABC News on various programming including “Primetime Live” and “20/20.” Goldstone’s appointment is effective immediately.
“Tom’s expertise in developing smart public affairs programming is an excellent fit for Zakaria’s incisive analysis and distinguished interviews with global news makers and business leaders,” said Feder. “It’s a successful partnership that has already yielded some of the most interesting hours of Sunday morning television.”
FAREED ZAKARIA GPS airs Sundays at 10am and 1pm ET on CNN/U.S. and at 8am and 3pm on CNN International. In 2010, Goldstone produced two primetime specials, Restoring the American Dream – A Special Edition of Fareed Zakaria GPS and How to Lead – A Special Edition of Fareed Zakaria GPS. Prestigious Sunday guests under his leadership have included Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Turkish President Abdullah Gül, former Chairman of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan David Stockman, 2010 Nobel economics laureate Peter Diamond, and Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
Goldstone succeeds Liza McGuirk who executive produces CNN’s Parker Spitzer.
Goldstone was one of CNN’s live news producers for the network’s coverage of the Asian tsunami in 2004-2005; he was also producing for CNN as Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005. The network was honored, respectively, with DuPont-Columbia and Peabody team awards for that coverage. In 2007, CNN was honored with a 2007 Best Practices Award from the National Association of Black Journalists for a report on racism in America produced by Goldstone for Paula Zahn NOW. And in 2002, Goldstone won a CINE Golden Eagle and a Gracie Allen award for a “20/20” report, ‘Inside Saudi Arabia.’ He’s won numerous other awards as well.
Other than the monthly breakdowns, we don't make a habit of posting up ratings on CNN Observations, but it's worth noting CNN's small victory on the last night of the year in which the network recorded its worst primetime performance in around 14 years.
CNN Press Release:CNN Top's Fox News Channel on New Year's Eve by 60% in the Key Demo 25-54 from 11:00 pm - 12:30 am.
CNN New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin (11:00 pm – 12:30 am)
811k demo 25-54 1.805 million total viewers
FNC’s All American New Years (11:00 pm – 12:30 am)
John Roberts signed off as host of CNN's American Morning just before Christmas to take up a position at the network's Atlanta headquarters, and be closer to his pregnant fiancé - fellow CNN anchor, Kyra Phillips.
However, less than a fortnight after leaving CNN's morning show, TV Newser today scooped that Roberts had been signed by Fox News Channel. According to TV Newser, Roberts will report on domestic and international stories for the network and will be based in Atlanta.
The full story, including Fox News Channel's announcement, is here.
Following a two week straight run of subbing on the anchor desk and reporting on CNN Domestic, Martin Savidge is on anchor duty at CNN International this weekend.
According to comments on the forum, some are keen for Savidge to become a permanent face on the network:
Newser:"I'm not sure if he ever anchored on CNNI before, but I certainly hope this won't be a one-off thing."
alexcs:"He comes across really well, this is the first time i've seen him. Really friendly and welcoming yet authoritative."
ginnyfan:"Hope we see more of him, he reminds me a bit of Stephen Frazier which is a good thing."
Nuggle:"CNNI need to sign him up PERMANENTLY. He was fantastic. So great to have a man of his experience anchoring weekends."
You can watch a short video of Martin Savidge hosting 'World Report' from CNN International below.
