CNN today released its ratings numbers for the first quarter of 2012. CNN's press release below.

CNN Press Release: CNN TOPS MSNBC IN PRIMETIME BY DOUBLE DIGITS DURING FIRST QUARTER 2012

AC 360 TOPS MSNBC’S LAST WORD AT 10PM FOR THE QUARTER

CNN Sees Solid Gains Compared to Last Quarter


First Quarter 2012 Highlights:

CNN tops MSNBC in M-F and M-Su primetime in the key demo for the first quarter 2012
AC 360 at 10pm tops MSNBC’s Last Word in the target demo 25-54
CNN tops MSNBC throughout dayside (9am-5pm)
CNN sees gains compared to last quarter (Q4 2011) -- all of the cable news networks are down compared to the first quarter a year ago due to extensive coverage of the Japan earthquake/tsunami and Arab Spring

For the first quarter 2012, CNN topped MSNBC in Monday-Friday primetime (8-11pm) by double digits (+11%) in the key demographic 25-54 (276k vs. 248k). This represents the first quarterly win over MSNBC in M-F prime in a year (since Q1 2011). CNN also bested MSNBC in M-Su primetime this quarter in the key demo (256k vs. 237k).

Anderson Cooper 360 continued to show a strong ratings performance, topping MSNBC’s Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell at 10pm in the key demo (254k vs. 219k).

During dayside programming (9am-5pm), CNN had a +28% advantage over MSNBC in the key demo 25-54 (120k vs. 94k) and outperformed MSNBC in total viewers (456k vs. 405k).

All the cable news networks were down compared to the first quarter a year ago (Q1 2011) due to extensive coverage of the Japan earthquake/tsunami and the Arab Spring. However, compared to the fourth quarter 2011 CNN showed solid gains:

M-F prime – CNN grew +33% in the demo (276k vs. 207k) and +22% in total viewers (827k vs. 677k)
Total Day – CNN grew +14% in the demo (140k vs. 123k) and +8% in total viewers (435k vs. 404k)
Piers Morgan Tonight grew +11% in key demo (182k vs. 164k)
AC 360 at 10pm grew +19% in demo (254k vs. 213k)`
Erin Burnett Outfront at 11pm grew +5% in demo (147k vs. 140k).

CNN reached an average monthly cumulative audience of 91 million viewers during the first quarter 2012, FNC followed with 77 million and MSNBC had 74 million.

CNN International today announced the appointment of Amanda Davies to its World Sport team. Davies, a sport presenter with the BBC, will join CNN International next month. The press release from CNN also reveals a relaunch of the World Sport show is due next month.

CNN Press Release: CNN International today announced that Amanda Davies is joining the network’s thriving sport team from the BBC in April.

Known to viewers worldwide as a presenter and reporter for the BBC’s coverage of world sports news and Premier League football, and to UK viewers of BBC One’s flagship weekend news programmes, daily breakfast bulletins and F1 coverage, Davies joins CNN’s London bureau as the network gears up for a year of major sporting events.

At CNN she will work alongside London-based sport anchors Pedro Pinto and Alex Thomas, covering global sport stories from football, tennis, golf and motorsport, through to basketball, cricket, rugby and athletics. Over the past 12 months CNN’s sport team has broken exclusive stories such as FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s controversial comments on racism, and interviewed world-renowned stars from Lewis Hamilton and Samuel Eto’o, to Shaquille O’Neal and Caroline Wozniacki, via Sebastian Vettel, Rory Mcllroy, David Beckham and Novak Djokovic.

Ahead of 2012’s summer of sport, CNN International’s flagship sport programme, World Sport, will also be re-launching in April.

Bill Galvin, Senior Vice President at CNN International, said: “Sport is a big part of our offering at CNN and Amanda’s addition certainly enhances what is already a very strong team. With Euro 2012 and the Olympics just around the corner it’s a very exciting time, particularly for our London bureau. Amanda’s experience covering big events and breaking news is perfect for CNN, and we’re very excited to have her on board in time for the re-launch of our World Sport show.”

Davies added: “2012 is an absolutely huge year for sport and it’s fantastic to be at the heart of that. I feel I’m joining CNN at a very exciting time for its sports coverage, and it’s good to be part of a genuinely international network. As well as giant events like the Olympics there’s a proper commitment to covering the full range of international sport here, and that’s a great prospect.”

World Sport airs daily on CNN International at 0500, 0800, 1700 and 2230 (all times BST) and the network’s extensive sports coverage can also be found online and on mobile. CNN’s sport portfolio also includes feature programmes such as Living Golf, Mainsail, Open Court, The Circuit and Winning Post.

CNN International rolled out the first 30 second promo for Amanpour. on Monday. The show returns to CNNI's schedule from April 16 (April 17 for viewers in Asia).

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.

- (CNN International's) Jim Clancy: Lessons from the pro.

- John King and Dana Bash separate; CNN stars were married four years.

- CNN rejects as 'ridiculous' Syrian claims it collaborated with 'terrorists'.

- Layoffs at CNN as network transitions to acquisition model for documentary programming.

- CNN correspondent says N-Word on air unbleeped.

- Sanjay Gupta becomes fiction writer with hospital novel.

- Iowans Edith and Carolyn go to Washington.

CNN today announced the roll out of a digital magazine format to enhance storytelling through text, video and images and other interactive features. The first story to make use of the new format is CNN's investigation into slavery in Mauritania. Details from CNN's press release below.

CNN Press Release: CNN creates 'digital magazine' for long-form storytelling

To shine a light on the practice of slavery in the country of Mauritania, CNN Digital has rolled out its first ever 'virtual magazine,' a powerful storytelling format that fuses video, text, photography and interactive components. A part of the network's Freedom Project initiative, CNN's John Sutter and Edythe McNamee traveled to the West African nation where an estimated 10-20% of the population lives in slavery, despite a 1981 outlaw of the practice. The special report, 'Slavery's Last Stronghold,’ will appear across all CNN platforms including CNN.com, domestic and international television broadcasts, and via CNN’s mobile website and apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Android Tablet.

“This is a stunning, bold story that demanded a visual presentation to match. We sought to create intimacy, forming connections with the subjects and John and Edythe, showcasing the powerful words, video and images into a new, truly multimedia presentation. This is the kind of story that does real good in the world, and we wanted to use all of the tools we have to make it shine," said Meredith Artley, vice president and managing editor of CNN Digital.

Spending nearly a year to gain entry into the country and conducting many of their interviews at night and in covert locations, CNN Digital’s reporters went to great lengths to uncover the tragedy of multigenerational servitude inMauritania. Captured through a variety of mediums, CNN Digital’s coverage of Mauritania appears online in the form of a digital magazine, personal video accounts and written stories featuring firsthand accounts from freed slaves and one man’s transformative journey from slave owner to abolitionist. In response to the initiative, CNN iReport, the network’s global participatory news community, is gathering messages of hope and support to be shared at a school for escaped slaves inNouakchott, Mauritania.

“CNN’s investigation in Mauritania exemplifies the very nature of the CNN Freedom Project, and that is to seek out stories on modern-day slavery and share them with our viewers around the world,” said Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director of CNN International.

To follow Mauritania and the Freedom Project across social media platforms, go to the CNN Freedom Project page on Facebook, follow @CNNFreedom on Twitter, and attend the Google Plus ‘Hangout’ to discuss Mauritania and slavery in the modern world on Wednesday, March 21 at 4pm.

CNN International will feature this CNN Freedom Project investigation across its programming lineup this week, with additional reports airing the week of March 26. CNNI’s coverage will culminate in a special documentary, ‘Slavery’s Last Stronghold: A CNN Freedom Project Special Report,’ on Thursday, March 29 at 3:30aET. The half-hour program will replay Friday, March 30 at 12:30a; Saturday, March 31 at 2:30a and 11p; Saturday, April 21 at 8:30a; and Sunday, April 22 at 2:30a and 11p (All Times Eastern).

CNN has announced its plans for coverage of tonight's Illinois Primary. CNN's press release below.

CNN Press Release: CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer, John King, Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper and Piers Morgan will provide special coverage of the Illinois Primary during their respective programs. A live edition of Piers Morgan Tonight will broadcast at midnight.

Chief political analyst Gloria Borger and senior political analyst David Gergen will join CNN’s coverage to offer insight and analysis throughout the evening. Chief political correspondent Candy Crowley will report live from Romney campaign headquarters in Illinois and national political correspondent Jim Acosta will provide updates from Santorum headquarters in Pennsylvania. Senior correspondent Joe Johns will report on the Gingrich campaign from Louisiana. In addition, political editor Paul Steinhauser and political reporter Shannon Travis will report from Illinois voting locations.


Tuesday, March 20 – CNN Live Coverage of the Illinois Primary (All Times Eastern):

6:00PM – 7:00PM: John King, USA
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Erin Burnett, OutFront
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Anderson Cooper 360˚
9:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Piers Morgan Tonight
10:00 PM – 11:00 PM: Anderson Cooper 360˚
11:00 PM – Midnight: Erin Burnett, OutFront
Midnight – 1:00 AM: Piers Morgan Tonight

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.


- CNN en Español turns 15.

- CNN: ‘Quality journalism is good business’

- Kenyans ask CNN to apologize over CNNI report.

- CNN goes undercover in Mauritania.

- CNN takes social media crown in cable ... But where are the ratings? (via: ICN)

- CNN is said to be in talks to acquire Mashable.

- MIA in online spat with CNN presenter Anderson Cooper.

- Larry King to launch interview show on Ora.tv.


Apologies for the lack of Weekly Observations last week.

CNN and Time today launch a series of Fareed Zakaria specials that will examine some of the most pressing issues of the 2012 election. The specials will accompany feature articles by Zakaria in Time magazine.

The first of the specials, 'Global Lessons: The GPS Road Map for Saving Health Car', debuts tonight on CNN Domestic at 8:00pm DST and will air on CNN International this weekend. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: Fareed Zakaria Launches Quarterly Series on American Renewal on CNN and in TIME Magazine

CNN and TIME’s Fareed Zakaria will launch a quarterly series of television specials for CNN/U.S. and CNN International and feature articles for TIME that pursue solutions to the most pressing issues central to the 2012 election: health care, immigration, jobs, and energy, it was announced today. The first special, Global Lessons: The GPS Road Map for Saving Health Care, will debut on Sunday, March 18 at 8:00pm and 11:00pm ET & PT on CNN/U.S., and on CNN International on Saturday, March 24 at 9:00pm ET. The companion article for TIME will be in the edition that hits newsstands on Friday, March 17.

“We Americans need to recognize that there are many areas where we could learn a lot from what other countries are doing. America’s best companies routinely benchmark to global standards. What we’re trying to do in this series is just that – look around the world and ask, ‘what can we learn?’ In the process, we also found areas where we could teach the rest of the world a thing or two.” Zakaria said.

The one-hour in-depth premieres as the nation arrives at the two-year anniversary of the historic passage of The Affordable Care Act in Congress – and days from when the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to review the federal legislation for its constitutionality. He will explore how other nations have addressed the challenges of costs and quality of care, as well as a successful community model within the U.S.

While health care costs in America totaled 17.6 percent of GDP in 2009, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the high cost of health care seems uncorrelated to quality of care. Zakaria reports Americans no longer rank within the top 25 nations for healthy life expectancy or infant mortality.

Put plainly, New Jersey’s Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers founder and family medicine practitioner, Jeffrey Brenner, MD, says: “We’re spending a whole lot in our country for health care, and we’re not getting our money’s worth.”

For the special, Zakaria also interviews David Goldhill, the president and CEO of the Game Show Network, who penned an editorial for The Atlantic magazine (“How American Health Care Killed My Father,” Sept. 2009); New Yorker magazine’s Atul Gawande, MD; William Hsiao, PhD, an economics professor at Harvard who helped design Taiwan’s health care system; and The Washington Post’s T.R. Reid, author of The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care (2010) for insights from his tour of health systems around the world.

Digital resources with more information on health care models in the U.S. and abroad will be explored in-depth at www.cnn.com/gps. The site will also include excerpts from the program, as well as articles and multimedia content for the upcoming specials on immigration, jobs, and energy.

Dan Logan and Maite Amorebieta produced Global Lessons: The GPS Road Map for Saving Health Care. Tom Goldstone is the executive producer for the special series and of the FAREED ZAKARIA GPS unit.

This first edition of Global Lessons will replay on Saturday, March 24 at 8:00pm and 11:00pm ET and PT on CNN/U.S. Future Global Lessons programs will focus on immigration, jobs, and energy. Companion articles to the specials on these topics authored by Fareed Zakaria will be featured in TIME throughout 2012.

CNN today announced the appointment of Vinni Malhotra to senior vice president of development and acquisitions. CNN's press release below.

CNN Press Release: VINNIE MALHOTRA JOINS CNN AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT AND ACQUISITIONS

Vinnie Malhotra, a former program development executive at ESPN and long-time ABC News producer, joins CNN as senior vice president for development and acquisitions, it was announced by Mark Whitaker, CNN Worldwide managing editor.

Based in Los Angeles, Malhotra will report to Amy Entelis, senior vice president for talent and content development. He will pursue development opportunities with outside production companies on behalf of the various networks of CNN Worldwide.

“Vinnie has a strong record of creating captivating programming, an award-winning news background covering major national and international stories, and experience integrating content across multiple platforms.” said Entelis. “We welcome Vinnie to CNN and are thrilled to have him join our team.”

Malhotra joined ESPN in 2010 as vice president, executive producer, content development. In this position, he was responsible for the development of films that includeEverything in Between: The Tim Tebow Story, The Color Orange, The Brady 6 and The Marinovich Project. He also developed scripted and non-scripted series for the network, and was part of the development team that created the new ESPN Quarterback rating “Total QBR” that is now being used in association with all NFL coverage on ESPN.

Malhotra began his career with ABC News in 1997 and worked on several of the news organization’s signature programs including Nightline and World News Tonight, and served as a producer for Peter Jennings for three years. He later worked with co-anchors Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff and was part of the convoy in Iraq when Woodruff and a cameraman were hit by an IED in January 2006. Malhotra was uninjured.

During his thirteen years at ABC News, Malhotra covered major global events including the Iraq War and the inauguration of President Barack Obama. From 2007 to 2010, Malhotra was executive producer of ABC News’ weekend news content, includingWorld News Saturday and World News Sunday, and oversaw the weekend editorial content and production for ABCNEWS.com and ABC News Now, among other ABC News digital platforms.

Malhotra has received numerous industry honors including five News and Documentary Emmy Awards and a duPont.

Malhotra is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and communications.

CNN has announced its coverage plans tonight for coverage of Alabama and Mississippi GOP Primaries. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: CNN to Provide Coverage of Alabama, Mississippi Primaries

Anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, Candy Crowley and John King will headline CNN’s live America’s Choice 2012: The Alabama and Mississippi Primaries coverage from the CNN Election Center. The network will kick off the special coverage with Erin Burnett, OutFront at 7 p.m. A live edition of Piers Morgan Tonight will broadcast at midnight.

Chief political analyst Gloria Borger and senior political analyst David Gergen, along with political contributors Paul Begala, Erick Erickson, Ari Fleischer, Mary Matalin and Hilary Rosen, will join the network’s primary coverage to offer insight and analysis.

National political correspondent Jim Acosta will report from Santorum headquarters and senior correspondent Joe Johns will be on location from Gingrich headquarters. Senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash and political reporter Shannon Travis will report from voting locations in Alabama and Mississippi, respectively. In addition, political editor Paul Steinhauser will speak with voters at a voting location in Alabama.

Programming schedule for Tuesday, March 13 – The Alabama and Mississippi Primaries (All Times Eastern):

6:00PM – 7:00PM: John King, USA (Live)
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Erin Burnett, OutFront (Live)
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM: America's Choice 2012: The Alabama and Mississippi Primaries (Live)
10:00 PM – 11:00 PM: Anderson Cooper 360˚ (Live)
11:00 PM – Midnight: Erin Burnett, OutFront (Live)
Midnight – 1:00 AM: Piers Morgan Tonight (Live)

CNN has produced a new special special that documents the challenges and dangers a CNN team faced while on a recent assignment in Homs, Syria. The one hour program debuts on CNN Domestic on Sunday, and airs across this weekend on CNN International. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: 72 Hours Under Fire features CNN correspondent Arwa Damon; airs on CNN/US Sunday, March 11 at 8pET & PT

Homs, Syria – considered one of the most dangerous places CNN has ever covered – is at the heart of a one-hour special documenting the challenges and dangers faced by a CNN team while on assignment there. As told by the journalists who risked their lives to get into Homs and the CNN news executives tasked with keeping them safe, 72 Hours Under Fire gives viewers an inside look at the complexities and risks involved in getting the story out of Syria.

72 Hours Under Fire airs Sunday, March 11 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., and Saturday, March 17 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CNN/US. It premieres on CNN International Friday, March 9 at 3 p.m., and replays Saturday, March 10 at 4 a.m., 3 p.m., and 9 p.m., and Sunday, March 11 at 6 a.m., all times Eastern.

“Homs is as challenging an editorial operation as we have encountered,” says Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director of CNN International.

The experienced team CNN sent into Homs included Beirut-based correspondent Arwa Damon, photojournalist Neil Hallsworth and security risk advisor Tim Crockett. 72 Hours Under Fire chronicles their journey into and out of Homs, the dangers they faced while newsgathering and reporting there and why this assignment was different than previous ones. Damon, Hallsworth and Crockett are interviewed by CNN anchor Michael Holmes, who also narrates the documentary.

“We are taking the unusual step of covering our journalists’ experience in Homs because it is another piece of the untold story in Syria,” says Mark Whitaker, executive vice president and managing editor of CNN Worldwide. “The fact that the Syrian government doesn’t want the world to know what is happening in places like Homs, and the enormous effort and courage it has taken for Western journalists to cover the brutal crackdown there, is part of the story. We thought it was important to take our viewers behind the scenes to see and feel that part of this conflict, too.”

Since the unrest began in March of last year, thousands of civilians in Syria have been killed by Syrian forces. The indiscriminate shelling in the opposition stronghold of Homs by the Syrian government made it incredibly difficult for the CNN team to reach their desired destination. Maddox, who admits to feeling “anxious” about this assignment, says the team’s mission depended upon a “fragile series of connections” that took a great deal of research and time to put into place.

“I actually wrote a letter home for the first time, to my family…when this trip was going to materialize,” says Damon. “There was a lot of unknown going in and sometimes you get that gut feeling. I felt in this particular case – on this particular trip – I had to do it.”

Helped by opposition activists to reach the besieged Homs neighborhood of Bab Amr, Damon and crew visit a makeshift clinic that lacked the equipment and expertise to help many of their patients. The clinic, which Damon says is “bombarded all the time and constantly under risk,” is staffed by two doctors and around 20 volunteers, each of whom has undergone just 15 days of training. The crisis in Homs is palpable, and the number of wounded civilians is overwhelming.
When asked about her motivation for going on this assignment, Damon speaks of the importance of physically being on the ground in Homs in order to fully understand what residents are experiencing.

“You have to be in it – seeing it, smelling it, listening to it – so that at the end of the day you can do justice to what the people are suffering. And [the activists] know by having us there, it’s going to help tell that story.”

72 Hours Under Fire also reveals the tough choices news executives like Maddox were constantly having to make, including pulling the team out of Syria before Damon wanted to leave.

CNN has extensively covered Syria throughout the year-long uprising. CNN has had four correspondents – some who have made multiple trips – report from inside Syria for all CNN networks and platforms. Many programs across CNN’s networks have focused on Syria, including Anderson Cooper 360°, which has covered Syria in more than 50% of their shows since March 2011. CNN is committed to Syria and will continue to find ways to bring this story to viewers.

CNN says it will provide extensive coverage of the Super Tuesday caucus and primary votes today. Full details from CNN's press release below.

CNN Press Release: CNN Anchors, Correspondents out in Full Force on Super Tuesday

Live Election Roundtable on CNN.com Kicks Off Coverage; Virtual Convention Floor Makes its Debut

As the proven destination for politics across all platforms, CNN plans extensive coverage of the Super Tuesday caucus and primary contests on March 6. Anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, John King and Candy Crowley will headline the network’s America’s Choice 2012: Super Tuesday special programming from the CNN Election Center beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Gloria Borger and David Gergen, along with CNN political contributors Donna Brazile, Ari Fleischer, Hilary Rosen, Erick Erickson, Paul Begala and Alex Castellanos, will join the coverage to provide analysis and insight. Beginning at 1 a.m. on March 7, the network will air a live special edition of Anderson Cooper 360º.

“CNN will deploy more resources in the field to cover Super Tuesday than any other television network,” said Sam Feist, CNN Washington bureau chief and senior vice president. “These contests will play a pivotal role in determining the direction of the rest of this campaign.”


CNN Election Roundtable

On CNN.com, viewers can join Wolf Blitzer, Gloria Borger, Jessica Yellin, Ari Fleischer and Donna Brazile to get an insider’s take on the 2012 presidential election. Users may register at CNN.com/roundtable for a 12 p.m. live virtual roundtable on Super Tuesday powered by Cisco's WebEx. The panel of political experts will address election centric questions from registered participants and CNN iReporters.


Technology and Social Media

Correspondent Tom Foreman will take viewers inside CNN’s new “virtual convention floor” on Tuesday evening. The virtual representation of the floor at the Republican National Convention will look ahead to the GOP gathering in Tampa less than six months from Super Tuesday to evaluate what is at stake in the race and provide visual delegate updates as they develop.

Anchor and chief national correspondent John King will utilize the “Magic Wall” to break down the Super Tuesday battlegrounds and analyze exit polling data.

To engage and comment on election news as it happens, users can view the CNN Politics Facebook page for political stories and photos of CNN’s favorite faces. On Twitter, users may follow @CNNPolitics for breaking developments and join the conversation by using hashtag #CNNElections. CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin will report live from the CNN Election Center on trends and conversation across social media.


CNN Anchor and Correspondent Deployments

CNN anchors and correspondents listed below will fan out from Alaska to Massachusetts and points in between for on-the-ground coverage of key states and races.

* Candy Crowley, anchor and chief political correspondent -Mitt Romney headquarters, Massachusetts
* Jim Acosta, national political correspondent -Rick Santorum headquarters, Ohio
* Joe Johns, senior correspondent - Newt Gingrich headquarters, Georgia
* Shannon Travis, political reporter - Ron Paul headquarters, Idaho
* Jessica Yellin, chief White House correspondent -The White House, Washington, D.C.
* Ali Velshi, anchor and chief business correspondent - Oklahoma City voting location
* Dana Bash, senior congressional correspondent - Ohio voting location
* Paul Steinhauser, political editor - Ohio voting location
* Mark Preston, political director - CNN Election Center
* Peter Hamby, political reporter-at-large - Nashville, Tennessee voting location
* David Mattingly, national correspondent - Georgia voting location
* Jim Spellman, all platform journalist - North Dakota caucus site
* Paul Vercammen, producer/reporter - Anchorage, Alaska caucus site
* Shawna Shepherd, campaign embed producer - Newt Gingrich headquarters, Georgia
* Rachel Streitfeld, campaign embed producer - Mitt Romney headquarters, Massachusetts
* Lisa Desjardins, CNN Radio Capitol Hill correspondent - Washington, D.C.
* Bob Costantini, CNN Radio Washington correspondent - Columbus, Ohio
* Edgar Treiguts, CNN Radio correspondent - Newt Gingrich headquarters, Georgia
* Steve Kastenbaum, CNN Radio correspondent - Mitt Romney headquarters, Massachusetts
* Adriana Hauser, CNN en Español correspondent - Mitt Romney headquarters, Massachusetts
* Ione Molinares, CNN en Español correspondent - Rick Santorum headquarters, Ohio
* Gustavo Valdes, CNN en Español all platform journalist - Newt Gingrich headquarters, Georgia
* Tory Dunnan, CNN Newsource “RunningMate” correspondent - Columbus, Ohio
* René Marsh, CNN Newsource national correspondent - Cobb County voting location


CNN Digital

The CNN Election Center will provide extensive coverage of the Super Tuesday states and will include live blogs and real-time results coverage.

CNN.com will live stream Super Tuesday coverage online, on CNN’s mobile website and across CNN's mobile apps. Users can visit the CNNPolitics.com, the online destination 2012 election-related news and analysis. Other online features include: GOP Delegate Calculator, CNN Electoral Map, 2012 Primary Caucus Calendar and an updated CNN Polling Center debuting Tuesday.


CNN en Español and CNN International

CNN en Español will offer extensive coverage of the Super Tuesday races, with anchors Juan Carlos López and Carlos Montero from Atlanta. Lopez and Montero will be joined by a panel of the network’s political contributors: Democratic strategist María Cardona, The George Washington University’s Roberto Izurieta and Republican strategist Juan Hernández. Programming will begin at 7 p.m. and will include guests and correspondents from Massachusetts, Ohio and Georgia.

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


CNN Radio

CNN Radio will provide comprehensive Super Tuesday coverage for its affiliates and digital distribution partners with correspondents and producers spread out though Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C.

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.

- CNN Radio loses distribution.

- Study: In GOP debates, CNN moderators spoke the least, Fox News moderators spoke the most.

- CNN's rare glimpse inside Iran.

- Anderson Cooper among America's favorite news personalities.

- CNN founder Ted Turner profiled.

- 'Starting Point' scores CNN's lowest morning show monthly viewership in a decade. (via: Johnny $)

- CNN International's Hala Gorani listed in 100 "most powerful Arab women of 2012".

- Anderson Cooper lists NYC penthouse.

CNN International has announced a week-long series of special reports and dedicated programming as Japan prepares to mark the one year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Details on the special coverage - which begins Monday - from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: CNN’S ‘REBUILDING JAPAN’ PROGRAMMING WEEK HIGHLIGHTS NATION’S ROAD TO RECOVERY

As Japan marks a year since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, CNN International and CNN.com bring global viewers a week of live reports, features and in-depth interviews.

A year after the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck Northern Japan, CNN is focusing on the country's remarkable journey to recovery in a special week of programming, ‘Rebuilding Japan'.

Beginning March 5, the ‘Rebuilding Japan' week features live daily reports from Anna Coren in Tokyo and the Tohuku region, as well as in-depth reportage from Coren, Kyung Lah and Andrew Stevens from around the nation. ‘Rebuilding Japan' will also include in-depth feature interviews on ‘Talk Asia' with Japanese soccer star Homare Sawa and one of Japan's most respected business executives and founder of Uniqlo, Tadashi Yanai. A special half-hour show, ‘Rebuilding Japan' brings highlights from the week's coverage and will air on March 10th - 14th. CNNGo is also turning the spotlight on Japan, with an edition from Osaka and Kyoto first airing on March 14th.

‘Rebuilding Japan' also features extensive online coverage and a special iReport initiative calling on people to share their photos and videos of life in Japan before and after the tsunami. The iReport initiative has already begun receiving submissions and can be accessed here. The best stories and videos will be featured on CNN.com.

On-air coverage encompasses a wide range of special reports, including:

Talk Asia - This half hour interview hears from Tadashi Yanai, the retail billionaire behind the Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo and Japan's wealthiest man according to Forbes Magazine. Within weeks of the tsunami, the 62 year old was recognized for his humanitarianism, donating $12.2 million of his personal fortune towards relief efforts, on top of the $4.9 million donated by his company. Yanai shares his outspoken views of what he thinks Japan needs to do to fully get back on its feet.

Talk Asia - Homare Sawa is the captain of the Japanese women's national soccer team who led her country to victory against the United States at July's Women's World Cup. Not only was the win one of the country's greatest sporting achievements, it was a much needed injection of morale for a nation still recovering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Energy Shifters - The legacy of the Fukushima disaster may have created a shift in energy policy, highlighting a need to move away from monolithic energy providers like Tepco to smaller sources. ‘Rebuilding Japan' looks at recent moves by local governments and corporates to change the energy dynamic.

Young Tech Giants - The Yen and supply chain problems have made it difficult to make manufacturing in Japan profitable so the new wave of entrepreneurs in the country have stopped selling things and started selling ideas. Gree CEO Yoshikazu Tanaka is Asia's youngest self-made billionaire and Mixi CEO Kenji Kasahara runs one of the nation's largest social networks. ‘Rebuilding Japan' talks to some of the names behind Japan's successful and growing tech sector.

Youth Volunteerism - Young people in Tokyo like Takashi Tachibaha are giving up their monied jobs and lifestyles and moving to the tsunami zone. Tachibaha gave up his successful career in Tokyo to set up a fishing company with eight other fishermen in Ogatsu, to help revive the fishing town that was totally destroyed by the tsunami in March. He's part of a youth movement that's sprung up in the wake of the disaster-a generation that has found a way to give back to their country.

China Tourism Recovery - Chinese visitors are a rare ray of light in Japan's hard-hit tourism industry. Visitors from Mainland China and Hong Kong are on the rise and they are big spenders too, hitting Japan's department and electronics stores. CNN looks at how Japanese businesses are hoping to make the most of the growing number of Chinese visitors.

Sendai's Reconstruction Boom - The city at the center of the Tohoku region, Sendai has become a hub for reconstruction and new business. Construction workers are looking for housing and materials, and businesses once teetering on the edge are now seeing the best year in decades.


Airtimes (all times are in HKT)

Daily Reports and Coverage

Monday March 5 to Friday March 9 at 0800 (live reports) on ‘World Report'
Monday March 5 to Friday March 9 at 2200 on ‘World Business Today'


Talk Asia: Tadashi Yanai

Friday, March 2 at 1830
Saturday, March 3 at 2100
Sunday, March 4 at 0730, 1430
Monday, March 5 at 0930
Tuesday, March 6 at 1630
Thursday, March 8 at 1330


Talk Asia: Homare Sawa

Friday, March 9 at 1830
Saturday, March 10 at 2100
Sunday, March 11 at 0630, 1330
Monday, March 12 at 0830
Tuesday, March 13 at 1530
Thursday, March 15 at 1230


CNNGo

Wednesday, March 14 at 1730
Saturday, March 17 at 1230
Sunday, March 18 at 1930


Special Half Hour

Saturday, March 10 at 0030, 2200
Sunday March 11 at 1730
Monday March 12 at 1130, 1530
Tuesday, March 13 at 1730
Wednesday, March 14 at 0030, 1230


* CNN International is a 24-hour news channel which reacts to live events and breaking news. Therefore, program schedules are subject to change at short notice.

Estereofonica.com reports on Willie Lora's appointment on Friday to news director of CNN en Español. (h/t: peramirez)

As a new news director, Lora becomes the chief executive of CNN news content in Spanish. Will be responsible for strategy, planning and implementation of the contents of the news, as well as prioritization of coverage and editorial vision of the chain.

"Willie brings proven leadership and invaluable experience to his new role," said Suarez. "I'm sure Willie is ready to take on new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead."

Lora has led the major political umbrella of the United States on CNN in Spanish and has been the principal architect of two of the programs of the chain, and USA Direct Clash of Opinions.

Lora, a veteran with 17 years with CNN in Spanish, has extensive experience in planning and production of multiple coverage of news events, as well as transmission to air breaking news. Lora has led the political coverage in the United States for the chain and has played a key role in the reporting of events of great global significance as the earthquake in Haiti, the coup in Honduras and the 50 th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. In turn, was instrumental in achieving a series of interviews with world leaders, particularly the President of the United States, Barack Obama and former presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton.

The original article is in Spanish, but you can read the rest of an English translation of the story via Google here.

CNN will tonight air live coverage of Washington Caucuses. The press note email from CNN below.

CNN Press Note: On Saturday, March 3, CNN will air America’s Choice 2012: Washington Caucuses live from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer will lead coverage from Washington, D.C. and will be joined by anchor and chief national correspondent John King at the Magic Wall. Chief political analyst Gloria Borger and CNN contributors Hilary Rosen and Ari Fleisher will be on hand to provide analysis as the results are reported. National political correspondent Jim Acosta and senior correspondent Joe Johns will report from the Super Tuesday state of Ohio. Political reporter Shannon Travis and producer/reporter Paul Vercammen will be live from Washington State.

Luis Carlos Velez is leaving CNN after 6 years with the network.

Originally joining CNN Worldwide as Senior Business Producer for CNN en Español, Velez jumped to CNN International in February 2011 to co-host the (now defunct) Asia morning edition of World Business Today. He was most recently a correspondent based in New York.

Wradio.com.co reports that Velez is headed to Colombia to assume the role of news director of Caracol TV. The website also posted the text of Velez's apparent farewell email to CNN colleagues. It reads, in part:

"Today came the day of departure. After more than six years working together is the time to take a new step. I am extremely grateful for all the personal teaching and journalism.

Thank you for showing the world, special coverage, for transmissions last minute on the news in context and the laughter in the air, for encouraging my senses, sensibilizarme, but more importantly, for showing me to do journalism independent, balanced, elegant and world class."

On Friday, Velez anchored CNN en Español's Encuentro and made the announcement of his departure. A video for our Spanish-speaking readers is below.

CNN International today announced the return of its monthly Business Traveller program.

Although new episodes of the show last aired in late 2010, host Richard Quest declared the program was "on hiatus" and its future had not yet been decided during an interview in July last year. The first edition of the new series airs March 15 on CNN International. CNN's press release below.

CNN Press Release: CNN International today announced the return of its award-winning monthly ‘CNN Business Traveller’ programme, which will launch on Thursday 15 March.

‘CNN Business Traveller’ hosted by CNN business and travel expert Richard Quest is the definitive authority on making the most of doing business on the road, and aims to give discerning viewers the edge on their fellow travellers.

Originally broadcast on CNN International between 2002 and 2010, the series now returns in a harsh, more demanding environment to reflect the size, importance and shifting trends of an industry that touches just about every aspect of the global economy.

Each month, Quest will present the show from hotels, airports and cities around the world, bringing his detailed knowledge of surviving out of a suitcase on the world’s corporate highways and byways. Joining him will be resident business travel news correspondent Ayesha Durgahee.

“Since CNN Business Traveller has been away, tough economic times have continued, but so has business travel. I’m delighted that once again, CNN is able to inspire viewers to profit from their travels and broaden their horizons, both in terms of personal enjoyment and business opportunities. This is a fascinating industry – we look forward to the year ahead on the road”, said Matt Percival, Executive Editor, CNN International.

In the first programme, airing Thursday 15 March, Quest is in Singapore to celebrate business travel in a region where growth is rife and trends are set. With the economic winds blowing eastwards, Changi airport s a thriving hub battling for supremacy among Asia’s high-tech airports; it was also the location of the first ever episode of ‘CNN Business Traveller’ so it is a fitting place for the programme to return to in 2012.

‘CNN Business Traveller’ can be seen at the following times on CNN International:

Thursday 15 March at 0730 GMT / 0830 CET
Friday 16 March at 0430 GMT / 0530 CET
Saturday 17 March at 0630 GMT / 0730 CET
Sunday 18 March at 0300 GMT / 0400 CET
Saturday 7 April at 1330 GMT / 1430 CET

Sunday 8 April at 0730 GMT / 0830 CET
Monday 9 April at 0400 GMT / 0500 CET