CNN Domestic HD recently launched in Japan. Click here for more information (in English). | Click here for more information (in Japanese).

CNN Press Release - Atlanta Studio Completes Conversion of CNN/US Programming to HD

CNN this week will unveil the next generation of news studio with the network’s latest high definition set in Atlanta, where rehearsals start today and live broadcasts begin in late spring. The new studio marks the conversion of all four of CNN’s domestic production centers to HD, joining New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

The studio includes a 270-degree rotating anchor desk, multiple set locations, weather center, more than 50 HD monitors, including three 103-inch HD plasmas, HD projectors, a touch-screen and perceptive pixel “magic” walls.

The studio also features more than 2 miles of LED lighting on the floors and in the walls to enable production staff to change graphics depending on the show or news environments. Buried in the wall, floors and ceilings is a further 45 miles of copper and fiber optic cabling for the 5,000 square foot studio.

“We built the Atlanta studio to be flexible by offering different broadcasting angles and set locations,” said Matthew Holcombe, vice president of Network Support for CNN Broadcasting Engineering and Systems Technology. “The studio and its infrastructure represent an evolution based on the best technology available.”

CNN Newsroom, Rick’s List, CNN Saturday Morning, CNN Sunday Morning and Sanjay Gupta, MD will join the line-up of CNN domestic programming already available in high-definition, completing CNN’s conversion to HD in the US. CNN HD stands as a separate high-definition signal offering a programming line-up identical to the CNN/US channel broadcast in the standard-definition format.

CNN HD is part of a continued rollout of high-definition offerings and innovations. CNN Worldwide’s high-definition plans go beyond upgrades of studios and production centers and include a significant investment in equipment in the field to ensure that its journalists can gather news in high definition. For example, crews are already equipped with a combination of HD cameras, laptop editors, trucks and fly-aways and the CNN Election Express, the network’s mobile HD production unit. HLN primetime programming is currently transitioning to HD and will be completed by summer. The entire network will be converted to HD by fall.

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

CNN Pressroom - Broadcasting & Cable to Honor CNN’s Bob Hesskamp with Technology Leadership Award

As the electronic journalism community descends upon Las Vegas next week for two of the premier broadcasting conferences, NAB Show 2008 and RTNDA@NAB. CNN will showcase its prominence and expertise in such areas as breaking news and election coverage, new technologies and online and digital ventures.

More than 15 journalists and executives from CNN will be speaking at this year’s NAB and RTNDA@NAB conferences. CNN Newsroom anchor Kyra Phillips opens this year’s event by moderating the opening session, “Leadership Lessons for Breaking News Coverage” on Sunday, April 13, at 4 p.m., and CNN’s chief national correspondent John King will be moderator of the joint NAB/RTNDA Super Session “Election 2008: The Home Stretch,” on Wednesday, April 15, at 7:30 a.m.

The NAB Show 2008, sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters, takes place from Friday, April 11, through Thursday, April 17, and is the world's largest electronic media show covering the development, delivery and management of professional video and audio content across all mediums. RTNDA@NAB, is a conference and exhibition for radio, television and online news, and runs from Sunday, April 13, to Wednesday, April 16.

During the NAB Show, Broadcasting & Cable will present Bob Hesskamp, senior vice president for CNN Broadcast Engineering and Systems Technology, with one of its 2008 Technology Leadership Award. The award, presented during a ceremony on Monday, April 14, pays tribute to technology leaders who have displayed innovation, imagination and achievement. Hesskamp’s duties at CNN include leadership of engineering and broadcasting-related IT resources, technology installations, support and maintenance, and engineering management development at CNN’s production centers worldwide. Hesskamp directed the September 2007 launch of CNN HD, the network’s first 24-hour news network in high definition, and continues to guide sweeping upgrades to CNN studios and equipment around the world to handle the format.

The schedule of NAB and RTNDA panels, speeches, and presentations featuring CNN journalists and executives is as follows:

Sunday, April 13

· Kyra Phillips, CNN Newsroom anchor, moderates RTNDA Opening Session “Leadership Lessons for Breaking News Coverage,” 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Monday, April 14

· Sandy Malcolm, executive producer for CNN.com Video, serves as a panelist for RTNDA’s “Mobile, Digital & Syndicated Content,” 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

· Mitch Gelman, senior vice president and senior executive producer for CNN.com, serves as a panelist for RTNDA’s “Making User Generated Content Part of Your Overall Strategy – On-line and On-Air”, 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

· Dave Hennen, senior producer for science and technology for CNN/U.S, serves as a panelist for RTNDA’s “Win the Weather War,” 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Tuesday, April 15

· John King, chief national correspondent for CNN, moderates NAB/RTNDA super session “Election 2008: The Home Stretch,” 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

· Bob Hesskamp, senior vice president for Broadcast Engineering and Systems Technology for CNN, serves as a panelist for RTNDA,’s “The Digital Conversion Countdown: It’s Later Than You Think,” 9 a.m. to 10:30a.m.

· Chris Hinton, senior director of software development for CNN, serves as keynote speaker for the Creative Storage Conference @ NAB, 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

· Dick Tauber, vice president, transmission systems and new technology for CNN, moderator for the Content Distribution Forum @ NAB panel “What’s the Life Expectancy of SNG?”, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

· Arnie Christenson, operations manager, satellites and transmissions for CNN, serves as a panelist for Content Distribution Forum @ NAB panel, “What’s the Life Expectancy of SNG?”, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m

· Sam Feist, political director and senior executive producer of political programming for CNN/U.S., moderates the RTNDA panel, “More Than Just a Reporter's Cap: The Many Hats Journalists Wear in the News Production Process,” 10:45 am to noon.

· Tyler Moody, senior producer for CNN Radio, serves as a panelist for RTNDA’s “Go Ahead. You Can Touch It,”11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

· David C. Vigilante, vice president of legal for CNN, serves as a panelist for RTNDA’s “What’s Legal Online?”, 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

· Michael Koetter, vice president of news technology planning & development for CNN, serves as a panelist for the Creative Storage Conference@ NAB “Entertainment and Media User Session,” 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Wednesday, April 16

· Jerry DeMink, vice president of CNN News Services, serves as a panelist for RTNDA’s “Sound Streaming: Boost Your On-Line and On-Air Traffic Today,” 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.

· Sandy Malcolm, executive producer for CNN.com Video, serves as a panelist for the TV World @NAB panel “The Billion Dollar Question: How Will Broadband Video Make Money?”, 12:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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.

All times Pacific

Live on CNN, CNN en Español and CNN International:

• Monday, January 28, 2008 — 8:00-10:00 PM ET - Democratic debate with the Congressional Black Caucus - Myrtle Beach, SC
• Wednesday, January 30, 2008 — 8:00-10:00 PM ET - Republican Debate with the LA Times - Simi Valley, CA
• Thursday, January 31, 2008 — 8:00-10:00 PM ET - Democratic Debate with the LA Times - Los Angeles, CA

Other Resources Available:

Broadcast in HD
Available on CNN On Demand
Wireless with CNN Mobile
CNN.com Live Video

Replay on Headline News:

• Tuesday, January 29, 2008 — 10:00 AM to 12:00 NOON ET - Democratic debate with the Congressional Black Caucus - Myrtle Beach, SC
• Thursday, January 31, 2008 — 10:00 AM to 12:00 NOON ET - Republican Debate with the LA Times - Simi Valley, CA
• Friday, February 1, 2008 — 10:00 AM to 12:00 NOON ET - Democratic Debate with the LA Times - Los Angeles, CA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Look closely (around the 0:20 mark), you'll see Campbell Brown making an appearance in this promo.

CNN Pressroom - Launch of CNN HD Is Company's First 24-Hour News Network in High Definition

CNN Worldwide this week launched its first 24-hour news network in high definition, marking the company’s global commitment to provide more news and information in that format for years to come.

CNN HD, which was made available on Saturday, Sept. 1, stands as a separate high-definition signal offering a programming line-up identical to the CNN/U.S. channel broadcast in the standard-definition format. As part of its initial entry into high-definition television, CNN will produce all of its New York-based programs, select documentaries and special events, including Planet in Peril and presidential debates, in high definition.

The launch of CNN HD is part of a continued rollout of high-definition offerings and innovations. CNN Worldwide’s high-definition plans go beyond upgrades of studios and production centers and include a significant investment in equipment in the field to ensure that its journalists can gather news in high definition. For example, crews will be equipped with a combination of HD cameras, laptop editors, trucks and fly-aways and the CNN Election Express, the network’s mobile HD production unit.

“As part of our strategic growth, we are aggressively investing in our newsgathering efforts worldwide to bolster CNN’s delivery of news and information across all available platforms and services,” said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. “Our move into HD is one of many significant ventures we have undertaken this year to increase CNN’s edge as the world’s news leader.”

For CNN HD, programs produced in high definition will include American Morning, CNN’s new 8 p.m. program anchored by Campbell Brown, Lou Dobbs Tonight, Anderson Cooper 360º, Lou Dobbs Weekend, Your $$$$$ and Open House. High-definition programming also includes Planet in Peril, a sweeping four-hour documentary featuring Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Animal Planet’s Jeff Corwin. Filmed in high definition across four continents and 13 countries, Planet in Peril will air over two nights on CNN/U.S. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, and Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. (ET/PT).

CNN’s first documentary filmed entirely in high definition will be CNN: Special Investigations Unit documentary Fed Up: America’s Killer Diet featuring Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent. It will air on Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET). CNN’s next two presidential debates – a Nov. 15 Democratic debate co-sponsored with the Nevada Democratic Party in Las Vegas and a Nov. 28 Republican debate co-sponsored with YouTube in Florida – will both be shot and produced in a high-definition format for live broadcasts.

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.