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
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 released plans for tonight's coverage of the Arizona and Michigan Primaries. Details from CNN below.
CNN Press Release:CNN Devotes Special Coverage to Arizona, Michigan Primaries
Anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett and John King will headline the network’s America’s Choice 2012: The Arizona and Michigan Primaries coverage beginning at 7 p.m. live from the CNN Election Center. John King, USA kicks off the network’s primary coverage at 6 p.m. and a special edition of Piers Morgan Tonight is scheduled to broadcast at midnight.
CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger and senior political analyst David Gergen, along with political contributors Paul Begala, Maria Cardona, Alex Castellanos and Ari Fleischer, will be on set in the CNN Election Center to offer insight and analysis throughout the evening.
Anchor and chief political correspondent Candy Crowley will report from Romney campaign headquarters in Michigan; national political correspondent Jim Acosta from Santorum headquarters; and senior correspondent Joe Johns from Gingrich headquarters. CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser and correspondent Miguel Marquez will take viewers inside the voting process in Michigan and Arizona, respectively. Correspondent Tom Foreman will lead a focus group in the bellwether state of Ohio ahead of Super Tuesday. CNN Newsroom anchor Suzanne Malveaux will anchor live from Phoenix, Ariz. beginning Monday, Feb. 27 through Wednesday, Feb. 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
CNN.com will live stream the Arizona and Michigan primary coverage online, on CNN’s mobile website and across CNN's mobile apps. Users can visit the CNNPolitics.com for primary coverage and analysis. Other online features include: GOP Delegate Calculator, CNN Electoral Map and the 2012 Primary Caucus Calendar. Users can view the CNN Politics Facebook page and follow @CNNPolitics on Twitter for the latest.
Programming schedule for Tuesday, Feb. 28 – Arizona and Michigan Primaries (All Times Eastern):
11:00 AM – 1:00PM: CNN Newsroom (Suzanne Malveaux from Phoenix, Ariz.) 6:00PM – 7:00PM: John King, USA (Special Edition) 7:00PM – Midnight: America's Choice 2012: The Arizona and Michigan Primaries (Live) Midnight – 1:00 AM: Piers Morgan Tonight (Special Edition)
CNN tonight hosts the final GOP Presidential debate before the Florida Primary on Tuesday January 31. The debate simulcasts on CNN International and CNN en Español. Details from CNN on what to expect follow below.
CNN Press Release:Wolf Blitzer to Moderate; Cooper, King, Burnett, O’Brien Anchor Special Coverage
Just days before Florida Republicans go to the polls to choose their nominee, the GOP presidential hopefuls will meet for a final debate hosted by CNN, the Republican Party of Florida and the Hispanic Leadership Network. CNN lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer will moderate the two-hour presidential debate which will take place at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville on Thursday, January 26 at 8 p.m. ET.
Blitzer, John King, Erin Burnett and Soledad O’Brien will anchor their respective programs live and in Jacksonville on the days surrounding the CNN debate. Anderson Cooper will anchor special, post-debate coverage.
Reporting from Florida in the final days before the primary will be chief political correspondent Candy Crowley, anchor Brooke Baldwin, national political correspondent Jim Acosta, senior political correspondent Joe Johns, correspondent Ed Lavandera, Miami-based correspondent John Zarrella, and CNN Radio’s Bob Costantini. On the campaign trail covering the GOP candidates are reporter-at-large Peter Hamby, political reporter Shannon Travis, and political producers Rachel Streitfeld and Shawna Shepherd. CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger, senior political analyst David Gergen and CNN political contributors Alex Castellanos, Donna Brazile, Ari Fleisher, John Avlon will be on hand in Jacksonville to offer insight and analysis for all programming.
Four presidential contenders will participate in Thursday’s debate: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. In addition to questions posed to the candidates by Blitzer and Florida Republicans in the audience, CNN will solicit questions and comments submitted in real-time from CNN.com, the CNN Politics fan page on Facebook and by using the #CNNDebate hashtag on Twitter.
CNN Digital
CNNPolitics.com will cover the Florida debate and primary and will be the online destination for all news and analysis related to the 2012 Elections. Users can check out the CNN Election Centerto track real-time election results and analyze the exit polls and results thus far from Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. CNN.com has also launched the GOP Delegate Calculator, which allows users after each caucus or primary to try their hand at predicting which candidates will win each state and eventually, the Republican presidential nomination. CNN.com will also continue to provide the CNN Electoral Map with the most recent predictions on battleground states as updated by CNN’s political experts as well as the 2012 Primary Caucus Calendar, an interactive datebook where users can slide over a specific month to see when states will hold their primaries and caucuses throughout the year.
CNN.com will live stream all of the events in Florida – the debate on Thursday as well as the events from the Florida primary next Tuesday. After Thursday’s debate, CNN.com will be live-streaming the Spin Room with CNN’s Jim Acosta. To engage and comment on election night news as it happens, users can view the CNN Politics Facebook page for political stories and photos of CNN’s favorite faces and also follow @CNNPolitics on Twitter for breaking developments all night.
CNN iReport, the network’s global participatory news community, will be asking for submissions related to the events in Florida, some of which will be shown on CNN.com and broadcast on CNN.
Across CNN’s mobile platforms, the latest election stories and opinion pieces will be available via CNN’s mobile website and on the CNN apps for iPhone, iPad, Android phone and Android tablet. The new Election Center section can also be accessed on CNN’s mobile platforms. Additionally, all apps will live stream the debate and carry live video of candidate speeches and events during the primary. On primary night, live results can be viewed on CNN's mobile website and in the CNN App for iPad.
CNN en Español and CNN International
CNN en Español will offer pre-debate analysis starting at 7.45pm hosted by anchor Juan Carlos López and joined by the network's panel of political contributors Maria Cardona, Roberto Izurieta and Juan Hernandez. At 8pm, the network will carry the debate live with simultaneous interpretation and will feature López fielding questions for the candidates from attendees of the Hispanic Leadership Network Conference taking place in Miami. The debate will be followed by 30 minutes of analysis with our political contributors and guests onsite in Miami.
The debate will also be carried live on CNN International.
CNN's Coverage Of Tonight's State Of The Union Address
CNN today released details of its coverage of tonight's State of the Union Address. Coverage will be simulcast on CNN International. Details from CNN below.
CNN Press Release: CNN Presents Live Coverage of President Obama’s State of the Union Address and GOP Response
Special Edition of AC 360 to Follow
Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer will lead CNN’s coverage of the State of the Union beginning at 8 pm tonight along with John King and Candy Crowley. President Obama’s State of the Union Address will begin at 9:00 pm. The GOP response with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will follow.
Blitzer and King will anchor the special coverage live from Capitol Hill, where chief political analyst Gloria Borger and senior political analyst David Gergen will provide analysis immediately following the address. In addition, senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash will report live from inside the Capitol surrounding the address while chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin provides the latest reports and insights of the president’s remarks from the White House. Political contributors participating in tonight’s special coverage include Paul Begala, Ari Fleisher and Roland Martin.
A special edition of AC 360 will follow CNN’s State of the union coverage and analysis, and will air live until midnight.
CNNPolitics.com will offer extensive coverage and real-time analysis of the State of the Union address with live-blogging on the Political Ticker and reader interaction on CNN iReport. Additionally, the address will be live-streamed on CNN.com/Live, via the CNN App for, iPhone and Android.
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's marathon coverage of the Iowa caucuses ran several hours overtime than initially planned, and here's why. In a nutshell, the margin of victory is one of the closest ever for a GOP presidential contest.
As CNN's coverage, simulcast worldwide on CNN International, ploughed well into the early hours of Wednesday, you could be forgiven - at certain points of the broadcast - for wondering whether you were actually watching CNN or a very slick Saturday Night Live parody. For those who may have bailed on CNN's coverage before midnight, here's a quick recap of what you missed...
Forget the flashy graphics, revamped magic wall, redecorated Studio 7, virtual Weebles and every other gimmick CNN threw at its Iowa caucuses coverage Tuesday, it was two GOP officials who appeared to steal the show... and possibly handed CNN the opportunity to be the first network to reveal the reasons behind the confusion that led to the delayed results announcement.
As we were left with the final result hanging in the balance, Wolf Blitzer and John King tried to get to the bottom of the missing caucus information from Clinton County, Iowa, by talking to Edith Pfeffer, Chair of the Clinton County Republican Party, and Carolyn Tallet.
The live to air phone conference immediately spawned Twitter buzz with #Edith peaking at number two on the social network's trending section in the U.S. Video of the conversation is in the player below.
The phone conversation was one of several lighter moments during CNN's marathon 8 hour + coverage. As Mediaite's Frances Martel writes:
"As Erin Burnett tried to explain a pie chart showing the way voters had veered related to what they considered the most important issue, using her new Magic Wall move, “the flick.” The “flick” somehow did not get the pie chart onto the second screen as attempted until the third try, by which Burnett and Gloria Borger were cracking up.
Anderson Cooper seemed to sense that all was lost and asked, “have we all just given up?” to which Ali Velshi responded “it is evident from the social media screen that people are going to sleep.” For no apparent reason, this made Cooper explode in laughter. “Again with the social media screen? This is the third hit and I still don’t understand what the hell this thing shows!” Velshi then tried to explain– but not before telling Roland Martin to stop laughing. It didn’t really seem to stop him– or anyone else on the set– from laughing."
Watch video of the shenanigans listed above in Mediaite's video here.
The lighter moments of CNN's coverage post-midnight soon led to someone suggesting a new show: "CNN After Dark". CNN's anchors, pundits and producers soon got in on the act, with a new logo for the proposed show designed on the hop and displayed on the projection screens in Studio 7.
Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley was apparently reminded earlier in the night to use the network's #CNNElections hashtag in her tweets. Crowley tweeted:
The CNN superstar didn't seemed too concerned by the reminder, with subsequent tweets still published sans the hashtag.
While most of the memorable "Youtube moments" occurred post-midnight (eastern), it was hard to miss this little nugget at the start of Tuesday nights coverage. CNN unveiled a brand new ident that briefly points to the network's election coverage history. You can view the "CNN America's Choice" ident in the video below.
CNN eventually wrapped up coverage shortly after 3:30am (eastern) - the last of the cable networks to sign off by more than 30 minutes.
Early online reaction and related mentions of CNN's Iowa caucuses coverage:
Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin will once again ring in the new year on CNN and CNN International. Details from CNN below.
CNN Press Release: Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin will again co-host CNN’s celebration of the New Year’s Eve celebration on Saturday, Dec. 31, from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (ET). The odd-couple will ring in the new year for CNN’s "New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” live from NYC’s Time Square.
"Get ready, America. Pull up a chair and a box of your finest wine, because you've never seen a New Year's Eve show like this,” said Griffin. “By the time I'm done with him, Anderson's hair is going to be even more gray. In fact, the night is going to be so wild, his hair is actually going to turn brown again."
“Kathy Griffin scares me. I’ve said this often to CNN management directly and through my attorneys,” said Cooper “She continues to appear by my side on New Year’s Eve, so clearly no one is listening to me”
CNN correspondents will provide reports from celebrations across the country and around the world. Isha Sesay will join Cooper and Griffin from the crowds in Times Square and Gary Tuchman will report live from Central Park for the annual Midnight Run. Correspondent John Zarrella will be live in Key West, Florida and Brooke Baldwin from Nashville, Tennessee. The show will simulcast on CNN International. After Anderson and Griffin sign off from Times Square at 12:30a.m. (ET) CNN’s Brooke Baldwin and Marty Savidge will take over from Nashville and count down to midnight, central time.
Leading up to “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” will be “Best and Worst of 2011,” an Anderson Cooper 360° special, which will air at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.(ET). The special will count down to the new year by looking back at 2010, anchored by Tom Foreman, who will shine a spotlight on the highs and lows of the past twelve months in politics, pop culture, the economy, entertainment, and much more. A re-air of Piers Morgan Tonight will air at 9 p.m. (ET).
ROBIN LIM NAMED 2011 CNN “HERO OF THE YEAR” AT CNN’S FIFTH ANNUAL CNN HEROES: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE
CNN Press Release - December 11, 2011 - In a star-studded ceremony Sunday night at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Robin Lim was named the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year.
Christy Turlington Burns introduced Lim as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes while host Anderson Cooper announced her name as the CNN Hero of the Year at the end of the evening. Each of the Top 10 CNN Heroes received $50,000, and Lim’s nonprofit, Bumi Sehat Foundation, will receive an additional $250,000 grant.
In Indonesia, women are 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than women in developed countries. After Lim’s younger sister died from pregnancy complications, she became a professional midwife and dedicated her life to offering free prenatal and birthing services to low-income Indonesian women. Since 2003, Lim’s“Yayasan Bumi Sehat” (Healthy Mother Earth) clinic has provided medical assistance to thousands of women in Bali and Aceh, Indonesia.
The star-studded ceremony included celebrity participants Jerry Seinfeld, Sofia Vergara, Mary-Louise Parker, Ice Cube, Laura Dern, J.R. Martinez, will.i.am, Christy Turlington Burns, George Lopez and Kurt Warner. Miley Cyrus, Chris Colfer and Emma Roberts presented to youths who were recognized and honored by CNN as “Young Wonders.” Miley Cyrus also performed her triple platinum hit “The Climb”, while Kid Rock performed a powerful version of "Care" from his platinum selling album, “Born Free.”
Now in its fifth year, CNN Heroes is a multi-platform campaign that shines a spotlight on individuals who go to extraordinary lengths to serve others. This year, the campaign received over 10,000 submissions from more than 100 countries.
For more information, including photos and video highlights from the CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, as well as information on all the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2011, please visit CNNHeroes.com.
CNN Western Republican Presidential Debate Airs Tonight
CNN Domestic will tonight host another GOP Presidential debate.
Anderson Cooper will moderate the two hour debate, set to tackle issues affecting voters in the Western states, from The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.
The debate airs from 8pm - 10pm (eastern) tonight on CNN Domestic, and will simulcast live on CNN International and CNN en Español. Full details from CNN below.
CNN Press Release:Western States, Issues Take Center Stage for CNN, WRLC Debate. Anderson Cooper to Moderate the Oct. 18 Face-off among Eight Presidential Contenders in Las Vegas.
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will moderate the Tuesday, Oct. 18 debate presented by CNN and the Western Republican Leadership Conference (WRLC). The debate, which will air live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. (ET), will be broadcast from The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Voters from the 16 states and territories that make up the Western region of the United States will be in the audience and will have an opportunity to pose questions directly to the candidates. Nevada will be one of the first states to vote in the Republican presidential primary process in 2012, as chosen by the Republican National Committee.
The following eight presidential contenders will participate in the debate: Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
CNN’s live and on-location coverage surrounding the debate will begin with CNN Newsroom on Saturday, Oct. 15 and continue through American Morning on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Programming from Las Vegas will include anchors Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett, John King, T.J. Holmes, and Carol Costello. CNN political contributors and analysts also on hand in Las Vegas will include Gloria Borger, Ron Brownstein, Alex Castellanos, Ari Fleischer, David Gergen and Mary Matalin. (See full programming details below).
CNN en Español's Washington, D.C. anchor Juan Carlos López will host live analysis on that network before the debate starting at 7:45 p.m. (ET). At 8 p.m., CNN en Español will take the debate live with simultaneous interpretation followed by more analysis with CNN en Español's team of political contributors. The debate will also be carried live on CNN International.
CNN.com:
Online, users can visit CNN’s Election Center and CNNPolitics.com for all things political before, during and after the debate. On debate night, CNNPolitics.com will live stream the event. In addition to questions posed by Cooper, CNN will solicit questions and comments submitted in real-time from CNN.com, the CNN Politics fan page on Facebook and by using the #CNNDebate hashtag on Twitter. The Political Ticker will live-blog the debate and incorporate live comments generated from social networks directly on the Ticker.
CNNPolitics.com will also showcase commentary and analysis from CNN’s political contributors, and feature a post-debate camera live from the Spin Room. CNN iReport, the network’s global participatory news community, will be asking for submissions of reactions to the debate, some of which will be shown across CNN.com and broadcast on CNN.
Programming:
The following programs will originate live from Las Vegas, Nevada today. (All times Eastern):
6:00 am – 9:00 am: American Morning 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: John King, USA 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Erin Burnett OutFront 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: CNN Western Republican Presidential Debate 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Anderson Cooper 360°
CNN Domestic has joined with other networks for a multi-platform special that addresses bullying. As part of the effort, CNN will air a town hall special moderated by Anderson Cooper and feature a series of special reports on Anderson Cooper 360°.
The town hall premieres this Sunday, October 9 at 8:00pm (eastern) and the special reports run from October 10. Details from CNN below.
CNN Press Release:CNN, Facebook, Cartoon Network and Time Inc. Team Up for Anti-Bullying Efforts. Anderson Cooper 360° Town Hall “Bullying: It Stops Here” to air October 9; AC360° week-long series begins October 10.
CNN, Facebook, Cartoon Network and Time Inc. have teamed up for a special multi-platform effort aimed at taking a stand to help stop the bullying crisis. Anderson Cooper 360° will air a week-long series focused on bullying in addition to a town hall hosted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, marking the one year anniversary of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi.’s death.
Anderson Cooper will reveal the results of a six-month long pilot study that provide new insight about why kids bully each other and how parents and educators can more effectively stop the problem. In partnership with University of California sociologist Dr. Robert Faris, this groundbreaking investigation involving over 700 junior and high school students will explore the complex social dynamic of bullying, and how certain students hold the key to stopping the problem.
“Too many kids have died already; too many kids are living in fear. At AC360 we decided to look into the problem by sponsoring an extensive study of bullying in one school to better understand the dynamics “said Cooper “what we learned by focusing on one school was eye opening. The problem of bullying is far more complex than it is often portrayed, and while there are no easy solutions, we’ve learned some things that lead me to believe that with enough attention, we can make life better for kids”
Bullying: It Stops here, An Anderson Cooper Special Report will feature guests including actor and bullying prevention activist Jane Lynch , psychologist and talk-show host Dr. Phil McGraw; who has testified before Congress about bullying prevention, talk show host and mother of three Kelly Ripa, and Rosalind Wiseman; best-selling author “Queen Bees and Wannabees”. Along with a special audience of students, parents, educators and policy makers, Cooper and guests will question whether new legislation, laws and significant media attention has helped the bullying prevention efforts.
The town hall, titled Bullying: It Stops Here will premiere Sunday, October 9 at 8pm ET and will re-air on October 14 at 8 and 10 pm ET.
Beginning October 10, Anderson Cooper 360° will air a week-long series which will move the conversation forward with solution oriented, original research that will help families and educators to better understand this serious problem impacting children. Cooper sheds new light into the world of bullies, uncovering counter intuitive information about what motivates kids’ aggression that might surprise viewers. Cooper will uncover some universal truths about bullying in schools across the country by speaking with UC sociologist Faris and bullying expert Rachel Simmons, best-selling author of “Odd girl Out”. Anderson Cooper 360° airs weeknights at 8 and 10pm ET on CNN.
Earlier this month, Facebook and Time Warner Inc. announced the launch of the Stop Bullying: Speak Up Social Pledge App, an interactive social media pledge that enables educators, parents and students to make a personal commitment—and recruit others to join them—to help stop bullying.
CNN has revealed the Top 10 finalists of CNN Heroes 2011. Online voting is open now until December 7. The Top 10 finalists will be honored in a live special to be broadcast across CNN's networks on December 11. CNN's press release below.
CNN Press Release: World News Leader Honors Everyday People Changing the World
CNN, the worldwide leader in news, today announced the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2011, recognizing everyday people who are changing the world. The network also announced that online voting for the “CNN Hero of the Year” opened Thursday, September 22, 2011, at 8:00 AM ET, and will run through Wednesday, December 7, 2011, at Midnight PT.
CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute will air LIVE on CNN at 8:00 PM ET, on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Hosted by Anderson Cooper at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute will honor individuals who are making extraordinary contributions to help improve the lives of others. Since its inception, “CNN Heroes” has received over 40,000 submissions from more than 100 countries and profiled over 150 heroes.
Each of the Top 10 CNN Heroes will receive a $50,000 grant and one of the honorees, as voted by fans across the globe, will be named the “CNN Hero of the Year”, receiving an additional $250,000 grant to further aid their cause. During the live broadcast, the Top 10 CNN Heroes will each have their story told by a celebrity.
The honorees for 2011, whose profiles are available to view at www.cnnheroes.com, are:
- Amy Stokes (Yonkers, NY) In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 15 million children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. New York resident Amy Stokes decided to bring the effect of caring adults living elsewhere into the lives of South African children. She started Infinite Family in 2006, using the internet to connect hundreds of teen ‘Net Buddies’ with adult mentor volunteers from around the world. Pairs meet face-to-face via the internet, and the children learn survival, language and computer skills that help prepare them for their future in a global marketplace.
- Bruno Serato (Anaheim, CA) For two decades, Bruno Serato has been doing what he loves: feeding customers at his restaurant in Anaheim, California. But six years ago, he realized that many of the children at his local Boys and Girls Club often go to bed hungry. They are “motel kids” – children whose families stay one step ahead of homelessness by living week-to-week in cheap motels. Serato’s “Caterina’s Club” started serving them pasta dinners, and now he feeds nearly 200 children seven nights a week.
- Derreck Kayongo (Atlanta, GA (birthplace: Uganda)) Millions of bars of soap left behind at hotels are simply thrown away. Since 2009, Kayongo and his Global Soap Project have collected 100 tons of partially used hotel soap and reprocessed it into more than 100,000 bars for communities in nine countries, including Haiti, Kenya and Uganda – for free. The Atlanta-area resident and Ugandan war refugee considers the soap he provides for poverty-stricken children as “a first line of defense” to help fight disease. The need is real: an estimated 2 million children die annually due to sanitation issues.
- Diane Latiker (Roseland (Chicago), IL) Youth gun violence runs especially rampant on Chicago’s South Side. Instead of hiding from it, Diane Latiker opened her doors to area kids in 2003 and started a community center in her living room. Today, the mother of eight has turned the building next door into a haven for youngsters. Latiker’s “Kids Off the Block” program offers tutoring, mentoring, job training and other activities to keep young people off the streets, out of gangs and focused on their futures.
- Eddie Canales (Schertz, TX) In 2001, Canales watched as his son Chris, a high school senior, made a tackle during a football game that left him paralyzed. Just over a year later, he and Chris watched from the stands as another high school player went down with a spinal cord injury. That moment pushed Eddie Canales to start “Gridiron Heroes”, which provides emotional and financial support to high school football athletes who’ve sustained spinal cord injuries. It’s a fraternity that includes 19 injured players in the state of Texas.
- Elena Durón Miranda (Bariloche, Argentina) Elena Durón Miranda traveled to Argentina in 2001 to research impoverished communities. She witnessed children collecting food and other items in the Bariloche trash dump to eat and sell. She decided to stay in the country and in 2002, she founded “P.E.T.I.S.O.S.” (Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor) to get children out of the garbage dump and into school. Today P.E.T.I.S.O.S. provides free after school programs and access to education, counseling and medical care to about 200 children.
- Patrice Millet (Port-au-Prince, Haiti) After Patrice Millet was diagnosed with cancer, he dedicated his life to helping needy kids in his native Haiti. In 2007, he sold his business and started the “FONDAPS” youth soccer program, which has provided free equipment, coaching and food to hundreds of children from the slums of Port-au-Prince. But Millet’s program mainly aims to help teach participants to become responsible citizens. Many children in the program lost relatives in the 2010 earthquake and now live in tent cities. Millet believes his work is even more important now to give “his kids” a shot at a better life.
- Robin Lim (Ubud, Bali, Indonesia (Birthplace: Arizona)) In Indonesia, women are 300 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications than women in developed countries. After her youngest sister died from pregnancy complications, Lim became a professional midwife and dedicated her life to offering free prenatal and birthing services to low-income Indonesian women. Since 2003, Lim’s “Yayasan Bumi Sehat” (Healthy Mother Earth Clinic) has provided medical assistance to thousands of women in Bali and Aceh, Indonesia.
- Sal Dimicelli (Lake Geneva, WI) Raised in poverty, Sal Dimicelli vowed when he was 12 years old that he’d always help people in need, and he’s spent nearly all of his adult life making good on that promise. Through a local newspaper column, Sal invites people who’ve fallen on hard times to write him letters, describing their situation. His nonprofit, “The Time Is Now To Help”, assists about 500 people a year with food, rent, utilities and other necessities.
- Taryn Davis (Buda, TX) Taryn Davis’ husband died in Iraq when she was 21. She felt alone with her pain while others moved on with their lives and encouraged her to do the same. Unable to find a community that could honor her husband’s memory and spirit in a way she could relate to, Taryn created one. Since 2007, her American Widow Project has connected 900 young military widows in a sisterhood that helps them honor their husbands while celebrating life.
Previous CNN Heroes have gained global recognition and earned increased support, allowing them to make an even greater difference. For example, last year’s “Hero of the Year”, Anuradha Koirala, was honored by actress Demi Moore. Moore’s organization, the DNA Foundation, later partnered with the CNN Freedom Project for a documentary on Koirala’s project “Maiti Nepal”, which details her efforts to end human trafficking. The DNA Foundation will also fund future Maiti Nepal prevention efforts. CNN’s 2009 “Hero of the Year”, Efren Peñaflorida, saw his pushcart classroom model replicated more than 50 times by different organizations and institutions across the Philippines. He can also be seen hosting his own search for heroes on the Philippine television show "Ako Mismo" ("I Myself"), which features people working in the Philippines to better the lives of others.
“Over the past five years, the CNN Heroes Initiative has profiled more than 150 heroes and honored 50 everyday men and women from around the world for their tireless efforts to improve the lives of others,” said Jim Walton, President of CNN Worldwide. “We hope to empower these selfless individuals to persevere in their humanitarian efforts to create progress, and are proud to share the stories of this year’s Top 10 Heroes.”
Those interested in learning more about the 2011 honorees and casting their vote for “Hero of the Year” can visit www.cnnheroes.com online or on their mobile device. For the latest updates, fans can follow CNN Heroes on Facebook and Twitter.
Kelly Flynn is the Senior Executive Producer for the “CNN Heroes” initiative and CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. This year’s show will be produced by Ian Stewart and Hamish Hamilton.
'CNN: Witness To Famine' Special Airs This Weekend On CNN International
CNN International will this weekend air a new 30 minute special on the famine currently affecting parts of Eastern Africa.
'CNN: Witness To Famine' features first-hand accounts from CNN correspondents as more than 12 million people across the Horn of Africa struggle to deal with the regions worst drought in 60 years.
David McKenzie, Nima Elbagir, Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta will take viewers behind the stories they've reported in recent weeks and share their experiences covering the disaster.
'CNN: Witness To Famine' debuts at 1300 GMT Saturday on CNN International, with repeat airings at 2000 GMT Saturday and 0900 GMT Sunday.
Tonight, Anderson Cooper 360° begins its new schedule starting at 8:00 PM ET with Anderson Cooper and Sanjay Gupta live from Somalia with a special report "SOMALIA: ON THE FRONTLINES OF FAMINE". The hour will repeat at 10:00 PM ET.
From CNN: Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta spoke with Jill Biden on the Somalia/Kenya border as she traveled there to see the hunger crisis forcing refugees to flee to Somalia. Cooper will also report live from Mogadishu during the week, embedding with African Union troops who are fighting the Islamic insurgents who are denying aid to starving Somalis.
CNN Special Coverage Of Final Space Shuttle Launch
Shortly after 2:00am this morning, NASA started fuelling the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Later today, with weather permitting, CNN Domestic and CNN International will air special coverage of Atlantis' launch - the last time the U.S. will launch a Shuttle. Details on coverage plans from CNN below.
CNN Press Release: CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will lead the network’s team of reporters from Cape Canaveral, FL for the special live coverage of the final launch of the United States Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle: Final Mission will air on CNN/U.S. and CNN International on Friday, July 8 from 10 a.m. to noon (ET). Former astronauts Cady Coleman and Senator Bill Nelson, and historian Douglas Brinkley will join CNN’s coverage.
Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch at 11:26 a.m. (ET) on Friday, July 8th.
As in the past during major news events, thousands of people in New York Times Square will be able to watch CNN's coverage of this historic moment.
More than one million spectators are expected to converge on Cape Canaveral, FL to witness the final launch. Having covered more than 80 U.S. Space Shuttle missions, correspondent John Zarrella will report from Kennedy Space Center. Anchor Ali Velshi will report for American Morning from Cape Canaveral, FL. Anchor Brooke Baldwin will be inside the Visitor Complex to gauge the excitement and nostalgia of the historic moment with spectators. Meteorologist Chad Myers will also be in the Visitor Complex providing viewers with up to the moment shuttle launch forecast. Correspondent Carol Costello will attend watch parties along the beach, capturing the celebratory mood.
CNN.com will offer comprehensive coverage of the final Shuttle launch including a live stream of the event at CNN.com/live and on the CNN Apps. The US section will also feature in-depth stories about the space program over the years as well as image galleries and interactives.
CNN iReport has asked users to submit images of their experience of Shuttle launches throughout the years, which will be presented as an interactive on the day of the final launch.
Tune in to CNN Newsroom Friday, July 8th from 10 a.m. to noon (ET) for final launch coverage. CNN Presents – Beyond Atlantis: The Next Frontier replays at 10 p.m. (ET) after the final space shuttle launch.
CNN Press Release - CNN has unveiled a new evening lineup with anchors Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper and Piers Morgan to launch this fall, it was announced today by Ken Jautz, executive vice president, CNN/U.S.
Beginning Aug. 8, CNN will broadcast its flagship nightly news program AC360, anchored by Anderson Cooper, live at 8pm and re-air it in its current timeslot of 10pm.
In the fall, CNN will premiere a new general news program with Erin Burnett, which will air at 7pm ET and re-air at 11pm ET. Piers Morgan Tonight will continue to air at 9pm and 12am ET.
John King USA will kick off the evening at 6pm. The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer will continue as a two-hour daily program, airing in a new timeslot of 4-6pm. CNN Newsroom will now air from 9am-4pm. The full programming schedule is provided below.
“The new line-up showcases anchors who are experienced reporters in covering stories that span the globe,” said Jautz. “We created a nightly schedule that brings together the best of CNN’s journalism on a wide range of topics from politics and the economy to global and world events, as well the best newsmaker and celebrity interviews. This line-up ensures viewers access to the best of what CNN has to offer whenever they tune in at night.”
“I’m looking forward to the new time slot and am excited to share AC360 with a new audience at 8pm, while still connecting with my regular viewers at 10pm,” said Cooper.
CNN Fall Schedule (All times Eastern): 6a-9am: American Morning
9a-4pm: CNN Newsroom 4pm: Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer 6pm: John King, USA 7pm: Erin Burnett 8pm: Anderson Cooper 360° 9pm: Piers Morgan Tonight 10pm: AC360 re-air 11pm: Erin Burnett re-air 12am: Piers Morgan Tonight re-air
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.
The New York Times' Brian Stelter writes today that In The Arena is cancelled beginning August 8. Anderson Cooper's AC360° moves into that 8 PM ET timeslot and coming in late September, John King USA moves to 6 PM ET and Erin Burnett's show will start at 7 PM ET.
An internal memo from Ken Jautz obtained by Stelter:
Beginning August 8, we will broadcast AC360, our flagship news program, at 8p and 10p. Then in late September, we will add Erin Burnett’s new show at 7p and 11p. Piers Morgan will continue at 9p and midnight, while JKUSA and the Situation Room will both be broadcast one hour earlier, at 6p and 4p, respectively.
This line-up emphasizes our focus on quality journalism and on hosts who are proven reporters, as well as on shows that successfully combine original reporting with news analysis, civil debate and a wide range of inclusive and differing opinions.
The CNN brand and business model thrive on high-quality journalism that resonates across multiple platforms. Over the last six months, we have broadened the range and depth of our reporting and added more analysis and opinion to our coverage to complement our reporting. The tone, quality and credibility of our journalism is what continues to set CNN apart and contributes to the growth and success of CNN Worldwide.
We are in discussions with Eliot Spitzer about an alternative role. We thank him and the entire In the Arena team for creating a program that moved many political and economic issues into the national spotlight.
CNN Looks Beyond Atlantis In New John Zarrella Special
Just days before NASA launches its final space shuttle mission, CNN will air a John Zarrella special. Beyond Atlantis: The Next Frontier debuts tonight at 8 pm Eastern.
CNN Press Release: Having covered more than 80 U.S. Space Shuttle missions, CNN correspondent John Zarrella delivers a special report on the end of the Space shuttle program and the future for NASA, as the glorious and sometimes tragic era comes to end. CNN Presents – Beyond Atlantis: The Next Frontier debuts Sunday, July 3 at 8 p.m. (ET) on CNN/U.S. and it replays on Friday, July 8 at 10 p.m. (ET) after the final space shuttle launch.
Zarrella talks with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden about the Space Shuttle program and NASA’s future, and takes viewers for a tour inside the Space Shuttle Discovery, exclusively, with former Commander Robert Cabana.
Beyond Atlantis: The Next Frontier will examine the commercialization of space, through the eyes of visionaries like Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic, and Elon Musk of SpaceX, as they strive to make space travel more affordable, and dare to do what only governments could afford to do previously.
Zarrella speaks exclusively with the wife of one the Space Shuttle Challenger astronauts, and he travels to Promontory, Utah, to visit the site where the space shuttle boosters were built, talks to people who have spent most of their adult life working on the Shuttle program, and he takes viewers on the train ride carrying the last set of boosters to Kennedy Space Center for the final Space Shuttle mission.
In a tale of two shuttle crews, Zarrella sits down with Commander John Young and Pilot Bob Crippen, the first shuttle crew, in a CNN exclusive interview. They remember hoping they wouldn’t burn up on re-entry and about the ejection seats on the first flight. Both Crippen and Young say they thought that NASA should still be flying the space shuttle until a replacement is ready. Zarrella also traveled to Houston to talk with the last shuttle crew. Commander Christopher Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim, they have the distinct honor of flying the last space shuttle. “We want to make sure we get the job done. And when the job is done, we can look back and reflect and think about where the place in history lies for this final shuttle flight,” said Commander Ferguson. “It'll be a sad moment because we know that it will be a while before there's another American vehicle that's ready to take astronauts to low earth orbit,” he said.
Lorna Onizuka, the wife of Space Shuttle Challenger astronaut Ellison Onizuka spoke exclusively to Zarrella about the death of her husband. Mrs. Onizuka said her husband knew the risks and they both openly accepted that in the name of progress. She gave Zarrella a tour of her home where she keeps a shrine and alter to remember her husband, and sometimes pours him a cup of coffee, or a beer. "I want to thank him. I want to thank Ell for watching over these guys in the years since, because I think he does. He shares their pride, shares their excitement, shares their glory, just from a different angle,” she said.
After the Challenger disaster, President Reagan suspended the Space Shuttle program for more than two years as a special commission investigated the accident. “We didn’t know what the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster would mean for the future of the shuttle program,” said Zarrella.
Administrator Bolden told Zarrella that the Space Agency is at its best when it explores and that is what they plan to do. Bolden says NASA could conceivably put a human on the surface of Mars in 2030. “Explorers - people like me, crazy people like me, we'll do anything, and we'll fly anything, but in order to expand the capability to bring more people into spaceflight, we needed a vehicle that had a capability for crews to escape.” An escape system, Bolden says, is a priority, already being tested, for this next generation of space vehicle, which may head to Mars, the moon, or an Asteroid.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk and Virgin Galatic founder Richard Branson believe that space is the next commercial enterprise. Musk’s Dragon spacecraft may dock with the International Space Station, later this year. Commercial companies will be the only way for the U.S. to travel to the space station, until the new spacecraft is ready.
Richard Branson’s dream of space tourism, he says, will bring the world closer together. "We've got extensive tests over the next fifteen months, before myself and my children go into space, and my wife won't forgive me if I don't bring the kids back,” he laughed.
For thirty years, the shuttles boosters have been built in Promontory, Utah. Zarrella talked to several of the employees that have spent their careers building boosters. CNN was allowed to accompany the last set of boosters from Jacksonville to Kennedy Space Center.
Rich Phillips produced Beyond Atlantis: The Next Frontier. Jeffery Reid is an executive producer for CNN Productions.
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will lead the network’s team of reporters from Cape Canaveral, FL for the special coverage of the final launch of the United States Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle: Final Mission will air on CNN/U.S. and CNN International on Friday, July 8 from 10 a.m. to noon (ET).
Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch at 11:26 a.m. (ET) on Friday, July 8th.
Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper will co-anchor CNN special coverage of President Obama's address to the nation on Wedesday night, with the broadcast to be simulcast on CNN International. Details from CNN below.
CNN Press Note: CNN will provide special coverage, beginning at 7:50 p.m., of President Obama’s address to the nation tomorrow evening. The president is scheduled to deliver remarks from the White House at 8 p.m. ET. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper along with correspondents and analysts will provide reports and analysis immediately prior to and following the address. CNN International will simulcast.
**All times Eastern**
7:00PM – 8:00PM: John King, USA 8:00PM – 9:00PM: Presidential Address: The Afghanistan Decision
Presidential Address: The Afghanistan Decision, anchored by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper
Former CNN President Burt Reinhardt has died aged 91, according to CNN.
Mr Reinhardt became President of CNN in 1983, previously serving as Vice President. He remained in the role until 1990. Mr Reinhardt went on to become vice chairman of the network until his retirement in 2000.
"I tell people that in my opinion, he's probably the most important and powerful news executive you've never heard of," said nephew Harlan Reinhardt.
"I'm sure a lot of people will talk about Burt's fiscal responsibility, but I think what set Burt apart from everyone else who has been at CNN was that he was quietly strong," said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. "And behind the scenes, this man has integrity and he's very competitive, but he wants to do things the right way. He's fair, but firm and he treated everyone with respect."
Reinhardt helped solidify the CNN logo as a strong symbol.
The logo, now commonly known as a "bug" in broadcast jargon, is almost always on the television screen during CNN's news coverage. This idea was the brainchild of Reinhardt.
Anderson Cooper noted Mr Reinhardt's passing during his show on Tuesday night.
