CNN Unveils New-Look Branding For Political Coverage; Adds Two More Political Contributors
CNN Domestic has unveiled a new-look design and new name for its political coverage. Watch Wolf Blitzer revealing the new branding on CNN Wednesday in the video below.
CNN Press Release: CNN unveiled its new graphic look and tagline for coverage of the 2012 campaign Wednesday.
"The choice Americans will face in 2012 is between two very different visions for governing the United States," said Washington Bureau Chief Sam Feist.
"CNN's goal is to leverage our extraordinary resources and offer our viewers the most unbiased, comprehensive coverage of the most important choice the American voter will make for the next four years."
"CNN's 'America's Choice 2012' branding reflects our commitment to helping American voters make that choice," Feist said.
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Also on Wednesday, CNN Domestic announced the addition of two new political contributors. Details from CNN below.
CNN Press Release: Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and conservative columnist David Frum have joined the network for the 2012 election season, it was announced today by Sam Feist, CNN senior vice president and Washington bureau chief.
“Having spent all of my professional career in communications, public policy, and politics, I’m thrilled to join CNN as a political contributor, especially as we are entering the excitement of the upcoming 2012 presidential election cycle,” said Maria Cardona.
“CNN is where the national conversation starts,” said David Frum. “In this exciting election year, I am truly honored to join that conversation.”
Maria Cardona is a Democratic strategist and currently heads the public affairs practice at Dewey Square Group, where she founded the Latinovations practice that focuses on Latino strategic outreach on national, state and local levels. During the 2008 Democratic primary election, Cardona was senior adviser and spokesperson to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and served on the campaign’s Hispanic outreach team. During the 2008 general election, Cardona was a key surrogate for the Obama for America campaign. Previously, Cardona was a senior vice president for the New Democrat Network, and before that, the communications director for the Democratic National Committee. During the Clinton administration, Cardona served as a spokesperson at the U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce. In addition, Cardona will also contribute to CNN en Español.
David Frum is the editor and founder of the conservative website FrumForum.com. From 2001 to 2002, Frum served as special assistant and speechwriter to President George W. Bush. During the 2008 election season, he served as senior foreign policy advisor to the Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign. Earlier, as an American Enterprise fellow, Frum studied political, generational and demographic trends. From 1989 to 1992, he worked as an editor of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. Frum is the author of six books, including most recently, Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again. He writes regular columns for CNN.com, This Week and Canada’s National Post. Frum was born in Toronto, Canada, and received a simultaneous B.A. and M.A. in history from Yale in 1982. He was appointed visiting lecturer in history at Yale in 1986; in 1987, he graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Federalist Society.
Cardona and Frum join a deep bench of political contributors at CNN, which includes John Avlon, Paul Begala, Bill Bennett, Donna Brazile, James Carville, Alex Castellanos, Erick Erickson, Ari Fleischer, David Gergen, Roland Martin, Mary Matalin and Hilary Rosen, among others.
CNN and the Tea Party Express will present a two-hour debate with GOP Presidential candidates from 8:00pm (eastern) tonight. The debate will also simulcast on CNN International, and stream live online and via CNN's mobile apps.
CNN Press Release: CNN and the Tea Party Express, along with more than 100 local tea party groups from every state across the country, will team up Monday, September 12 to present a first-of-its-kind debate from the site of the 2012 Republican National Convention: Tampa, Florida. Eight Republican presidential contenders will face questions from moderator and lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer during the two-hour event, which will air live on CNN from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. from the Florida State Fairgrounds. The debate will focus on a wide-range of topics, including the role, size and scope of government, with a specific emphasis on issue number one to tea party members and all Americans: the economy.
In addition to questions from Blitzer, audience members inside the debate hall, made up in part by members from tea party groups in 31 states and the District of Columbia, will be invited to ask questions directly to the candidates. Questions will also be taken live from tea party members at debate watch parties in Phoenix, Ariz.; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Portsmouth, Virginia. Online, CNN will solicit questions via comments on CNNPolitics.com, the CNN Politics Facebook page, and by using the #CNNTeaParty hashtag on Twitter.
The following Republican candidates 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.
The debate will be broadcast live on CNN, CNN International, CNN.com, and CNN Radio. The debate will be available via live stream in the CNN Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.
CNN.com
CNNPolitics.com will provide a series of stories for all things related to the CNN-Tea Party Republican Debate: the evolution of the tea party movement, its influence on the Republican Party, what’s at stake for the GOP hopefuls participating in the debate and more. On debate day, Monday, Sept. 12, CNNPolitics.com will dedicate its site to coverage of the debate, featuring profiles of the candidates and a behind-the-scenes look at event preparations.
On the day of the debate, the CNN Political Ticker will host a live, up-to-the-minute blog, including real-time comments from CNN’s political team. The page will also incorporate a social media live stream, integrating the conversation happening across CNN.com, Twitter and Facebook directly onto the Political Ticker.
Additionally, a new page for debate coverage, CNN.com/TeaPartyDebate, will be live on Friday, Sept. 9 and will feature a live video stream of the debate, plus related video.
PROGRAMMING:
The following programs will originate live from the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida:
Monday, September 12
6:00am – 9:00 am: American Morning – with Ali Velshi 5:00 pm: – 7:00pm: The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer 7:00pm – 8:00 pm: John King, USA 8:00pm – 10:00pm: CNN-Tea Party Republican Debate
Tuesday, September 13
6:00am – 9:00am: American Morning – with Ali Velshi
CNN is noting its special coverage of President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on Thursday. Coverage begins 5:00pm (eastern) on The Situation Room. CNN will stream the President's address online and CNN's mobile apps.
CNN Press Release: Special Programming of President Obama’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress; coverage begins at 5 p.m. on CNN. AC 360° and Piers Morgan Tonight to follow the Presidential Address.
On Thursday, Sept. 8, CNN will broadcast special coverage of President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress with coverage beginning at 5 p.m. with a special edition of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. The President’s address on job creation is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. CNN lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, along with chief national correspondent John King from Capitol Hill, will anchor the network’s coverage. CNN International will simulcast the President’s speech.
AC 360° at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. and Piers Morgan Tonight will follow at 9 p.m. and will feature special coverage and analysis of the presidential address. CNN will replay the president’s address at 11 p.m.
CNN.com will live stream the address in the new CNN video experience and the address will be available live on the CNN Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. CNNPolitics.com will feature in-depth reporting and The Political Ticker will incorporate live blogging during the speech.
CNN is soliciting comments and questions to be put to GOP Presidential candidates for Monday's debate.
CNN Press Release: While Republican presidential primary contenders face-off Monday, June 13 in the first New Hampshire debate of the season presented by CNN, Hearst Television’s WMUR, and the New Hampshire Union Leader, voters will have opportunities to question the candidates in person and online. The debate will feature questions from New Hampshire voters inside the debate hall and potentially from town hall locations in Hancock, Plymouth, and Rochester, New Hampshire. In addition, CNN will solicit comments from its users on CNN.com as well as questions via Facebook and Twitter.
The following Republican candidates will participate in the debate: Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.
The debate, which will air live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, will be moderated by CNN anchor and chief national correspondent John King, with questions from WMUR-TV’s Jean Mackin, Josh McElveen and Jennifer Vaughn and New Hampshire Union Leader’s John DiStaso and Tom Fahey. The debate will be broadcast live throughout New Hampshire on WMUR-TV and nationally on CNN, CNN en Español, CNN.com, CNN Radio, WMUR.com and UnionLeader.com. The debate will be available via live stream in the CNN Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Viewers watching on television and online are invited to comment or ask questions by posting comments to CNNPolitics.com, by logging on to John King, USA’s Facebook page and by using the #CNNdebate hashtag on Twitter. New Hampshire voters watching the debate at the Rochester town hall will be hosted by CNN correspondent Tom Foreman and will be equipped with handheld dial-testing devices to register their reactions during the debate. CNN.com/live will offer streaming video of the live dial-testing results in addition to a live stream of the debate in its entirety.
CNN’s political team will live blog the debate on the CNN Political Ticker, which will also feature a live feed of debate-related tweets. A new interactive feature will debut Monday night on CNN when at the beginning of the debate, a QR code (a square digital barcode) will appear on screen. Viewers with smartphones will be able to scan the QR code to access exclusive content on CNN.com including a column penned by Wolf Blitzer, a quick vote poll and a behind-the-scenes photo gallery.
CNN’s coverage surrounding the debates kicks off live and on location with John King, USA on Friday, June 10 at 7 p.m. and will continue through Monday featuring anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King, Don Lemon and Christine Romans with national political correspondent Jessica Yellin and chief political analyst Gloria Borger.
The following programs will originate live from Manchester, New Hampshire:
Saturday, June 11
5 p.m. – 6 p.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon 7 p.m. – 8p.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon 10 p.m. – 11 p.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon
Sunday, June 12
9 a.m. – 10 a.m. State of the Union with Candy Crowley 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon 10 p.m. – 11a.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon
Monday, June 13
6 a.m. – 9 a.m. American Morning (split show from NH and NY) 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. John King, USA 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. CNN/WMUR/New Hampshire Union Leader GOP Primary Debate 10 p.m. – 11 p.m. AC 360° with Anderson Cooper, Tom Foreman will also be reporting from the Rochester, New Hampshire town hall 11 p.m. – 1 a.m. CNN/WMUR/New Hampshire Union Leader GOP Primary Debate (replay)
Meanwhile, watch as CNN's Don Lemon takes viewers on a quick tour of the debate set.
CNN Will Broadcast GOP, Tea Party Responses To State Of The Union Address
CNN Press Release: Comprehensive Coverage of the Address and Subsequent Responses Begins at 8 p.m. ET
Following President Obama’s State of the Union address this evening, CNN will air the Republican response, delivered by Rep. Paul Ryan, followed by the Tea Party response, delivered by Rep. Michele Bachmann. Both responses will be broadcast live and in their entirety.
“The Tea Party has become a major force in American politics and within the Republican Party,” explained Sam Feist, political director and vice president of Washington-based programming. “Hearing the Tea Party’s perspective on the State of the Union is something we believe CNN’s viewers will be interested in hearing and we are happy to include this perspective as one of many in tonight’s coverage."
Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, joined by Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King and Piers Morgan will headline the network’s coverage of the president’s address to the nation and the responses that follow beginning at 8 p.m. Shortly before the 9 p.m. State of the Union address, King will preview the president’s remarks from Capitol Hill, where he will be reporting live throughout the evening.
Additionally, Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer, along with senior political analysts Gloria Borger and David Gergen, and political contributors Roland Martin and Erick Erickson will add insight and analysis.
The network will provide its signature three-dimensional graphics to help explain information and data pertaining to issues the president is expected to raise during his speech. Ali Velshi and Joe Johns will utilize the virtual tool to present comprehensive analysis on the current economic climate, employment rates, impact of health care reform and more.
A special edition of John King, USA will air live from Capitol Hill at 7 p.m. King will be joined by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN). Anderson Cooper 360 ° will follow the State of the Union coverage at 11 p.m.
CNN Politics.com will also have all of the latest articles, op-eds and analysis leading up to the State of the Union as well as interactive features and photo galleries. CNN iReport, the network’s user-generated news community, is asking iReporters to watch the speech and share their thoughts.
CNN will tonight debut an investigative documentary that examines the impact of Tea Party groups. CNN's press release and preview of the program is below.
CNN Press Release:Investigative documentary examining the impact of Tea Party groups debuts Saturday, October 30at 8:00pm ET & PT on CNN/U.S.
CNN has criss-crossed the country over the last 18 months, logging campaign coverage of literally hundreds of candidates – their ads, the controversies, the primaries, and the polls as the nation counts down to the mid-term elections on Nov. 2nd. CNN writer and producer Shannon Travis has followed the political movement that has proven to be the most energetic and the most provocative of this campaign season, the various groups that self-identify with the Tea Party.
Boiling Point: Inside the Tea Party debuts Saturday, Oct. 30 at 8:00pm ET and PT on CNN.
Reporting from California, to Delaware, to Alaska, to Florida and beyond, Travis interviewed the movement’s chief influencers – conservative talk radio personality and former Tea Party Express chairman Mark Williams, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, and Mary Rakovich, considered by some to be “the godmother” of the Tea Party movement – about their goals and the messages they want delivered to the corridors of power in Washington.
Travis’ investigation also looks into the leadership and the funding of tea party groups. Sal Russo, a long-time Republican activist and organizer of the recall of California governor Gray Davis (D-CA), is a founder of the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express. In a rare interview with Travis, Russo says that the candidates his group supports focus upon fiscal conservatism over social issues, which he feels has been key to its success.
However, Russo has also been accused by his former Tea Party Express vice chair, Deborah Johns, as well as other tea partiers, of simply co-opting the “tea party” label to make money for his consulting firm. Travis also talks to FreedomWorks founder and former U.S. Rep. Dick Armey (R-TX) about accusations that his group is funded by powerful, moneyed groups – not grassroots supporters.
A multimedia report on the tea party, including video clips from tea party events and candidates from the campaign trail, a photographic retrospective of American populist movements, and an excerpt from the Boiling Point documentary can be found at www.cnn.com/boilingpoint. Comprehensive campaign coverage and the latest updates on all of the latest breaking political news can be found at www.cnn.com/ticker.
Boiling Point was reported by CNN political producer and writer Shannon Travis. Marcus Hooper is producer, Steve Turnham is senior producer, Jeffery Reid is executive producer, and Bud Bultman is managing editor for this production. Scott Matthews is the executive producer for CNN’s Special Investigations and Documentaries unit.
CNN has released more details on their election night coverage plans. As well as new election theme music, the network will unveil its "Election Matrix" - a new virtual environment.
CNN Press Release:Network to Create Virtual Environment “CNN Election Matrix” to Visualize Vast Amounts of Election Data
CNN’s Best Political Team will add new technology to its arsenal in order to better explain the complex story of the midterm elections as it unfolds on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, joined by Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King and Soledad O’Brien will headline Election Night in America, beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing into the following day. From Delaware to Nevada to Alaska, CNN will dispatch correspondents across the country to check in throughout the night and report on the crucial races impacting the balance of power in Congress.
The network will create a live and interactive environment, called the “CNN Election Matrix,” to break down data in a visual way. With this tool, King visually will whip through a comprehensive amount of information to better explain to viewers the most competitive House and Senate races. In an election filled with partisanship and strong anti-incumbent feelings, viewers will see the race through the lens of incumbencies: which incumbents have fallen, when they were elected, the nationwide impact and more. Additionally, the “CNN Election Matrix” will create a virtual representation of which party is gaining ground and potential shifts in the balance of power.
“We are taking capabilities of the Data Wall and quadrupling it in order to report the story in the clearest way we can,” said David Bohrman, senior vice president and Washington bureau chief. “Viewers are ready for a rich meal of election items and with CNN’s technology on air and online, paired with the Best Political Team, we will serve an unparalleled election night experience.”
Building on hologram technology unveiled during 2008’s Election Night in America, the network will create an entirely new way to display exit polling data using three-dimensional graphics. O’Brien will use virtual graphics that appear in the studio to actually show viewers not only how people voted, but also specifically what groups of people voted. The technology will allow viewers to see the real picture of voter turnout and how that could influence who controls Washington.
The “Data Wall,” which the network first used during 2008 election coverage, will return with a major upgrade. Once again, King will man the wall to drill into live county and state vote tallies and help put the election puzzle into place. Using Crimson Hexagon technology, CNN will be able to analyze, categorize and visualize the vast social media conversation happening on Twitter on Election Day. By listening in to what Americans are saying online, the network will create a geographic illustration that shows viewers the climate of the country and reaction to the results.
CNN will showcase the Best Political Team, including the diverse views of its political contributors, to report and analyze the political event. New hosts Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer will add their insight to the coverage. Senior political analysts Gloria Borger and David Gergen will join CNN correspondents in discussing the returns, including national political correspondent Jessica Yellin, who has spent months on the campaign trail, and senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash, who has delved into campaign finances and advertising. Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar; senior White House correspondent Ed Henry and White House correspondents Dan Lothian and Suzanne Malveaux also will add their insight. Political contributors span the ideological spectrum: John Avlon, Paul Begala, Bill Bennett, Donna Brazile, James Carville, Alex Castellanos, Erick Erickson, Roland Martin, Mary Matalin, Ed Rollins and Hilary Rosen.
On Election Night, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer will kickoff the network’s political-centric coverage beginning at 5 p.m., followed by Election Night in America at 7 p.m. The network will continue live coverage throughout the night and into early morning Wednesday, when American Morning begins at 3 a.m and continues until noon.
CNN also will introduce new election music from HBO’s award-winning series John Adams to help place the elections in the context of our nation’s history. The score will serve as the network’s theme music on all programs and platforms through the 2012 Presidential Election.
Stay tuned to CNN leading up to election night for sneak peeks at what to expect on Election Night in America. CNN will have election specials, titled Countdown to Election Night in America, on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 31 at 9 p.m.
Extending the reach of CNN’s Best Political Team far beyond television, CNN.com’s Election Center will be the premiere online destination for the midterm elections. Featuring the latest results on CNN.com’s homepage on Election Night, the Election Center will include real-time race results, graphics to show the shifting balance of power in the House and Senate, polls and a plethora of information to satisfy everyone from the political novice to the junkie. Online at www.cnn.com/MyElection, users will be able to follow up to 15 races and/or ballot measures as the results come in; as well as activate a module featuring results for the three races most important to them, which will “follow” users throughout the right rail of the Election Center.
Android, BlackBerry and iPhone or iPod touch users can also follow real-time election results on their mobile phone for House, Senate and gubernatorial races through the CNN Election Center App, available for free from Android Market, BlackBerry App World and the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch.
In the days leading up to November 2, CNN International will also offer extensive coverage of the U.S. midterm election across its signature programs including International Desk, Connect the World, BackStory and Political Mann, the weekly U.S.-focused political show hosted by Jonathan Mann. As the polls begin to close on Election Day, CNN International will simulcast CNN/US coverage to an audience around the world.
CNN en Español will offer rolling coverage of the U.S. midterm election starting at 6 a.m. Anchor Luis Carlos Vélez will offer exit poll results and updates on the balance of power throughout the day from our studios in Atlanta. Then, starting at 4 p.m., senior D.C. correspondent Juan Carlos López will offer reports and will be joined by analysts Roberto Izurieta and Helen Aguirre Ferre, and will later present results with senior anchor Patricia Janiot through 1 a.m.
CNN Press Release:Head-turning redesign combines latest political news with unmatched expertise and analysis
CNN has unveiled some significant changes to the digital home for its political coverage, showcasing the whole of CNN’s world-class political reporting front and center online. Focused on providing users with a more social, conversational and visually compelling online news experience that is easy to navigate, CNNPolitics.com and its companion blog, the Political Ticker, draw on the full strength of CNN’s unparalleled reporting resources – including CNN.com’s political reporting team, the CNN Political Unit, CNN’s Washington and New York bureaus and journalists in the field.
“The new CNNPolitics.com pairs CNN's timely, smart reporting with new interactive features and visual oomph,” said Meredith Artley, vice president and managing editor of CNN.com. “Our dynamic coverage now has the dynamic digital presence it deserves.”
Utilizing a premium design and innovative features incorporating user-generated content and social media activity, the section offers all of the latest – and biggest impact – political stories, video and polls as well as direct access to the Internet’s No. 1 political news blog, the Political Ticker. Some new features on CNNPolitics.com include:
“The Top 5:” A daily digest of the five most important political stories to keep users in-the-know, from aggregated content around the web to highlights of the weekend political television programs;
Top Stories & “The Conversation”: A rundown of the biggest political stories of the moment, broken down by the topics generating the most conversation and comments among CNN.com’s users;
Opinion: The most recent op-eds and daily musings from CNN’s political contributors and pundits on both sides of the aisle – and beyond;
Polling Center: The place to go for CNN’s extensive polling, plus public political polling across the country; and
Local Headlines: The latest and greatest political headlines from across the nation and users’ hometowns, customizable by zip code and powered by CNN’s hundreds of local affiliates.
As the premier online destination for all things politics – inside and outside of the beltway – every week, CNNPolitics.com will publish an agenda-setting cover story called “The Sweep,” channeling the award-winning reporting expertise of CNN’s anchors and correspondents. Additionally, the site is introducing new regular editorial features from CNN’s political juggernauts, including:
“Wolf’s Picks,” regular Political Ticker posting about the top stories to watch from the one-and-only anchor of CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer;
“Henry in the House,” a weekly column from senior White House correspondent Ed Henry, providing an insider's view of the Obama White House;
"Reliable Sources," weekly columns by Howie Kurtz, host of the weekly CNN program Reliable Sources, that turn a critical lens on the media and invite the audience to participate in the discussion; and
Coming soon, “Preston on Politics,” an analytical wrap-up of the day’s political headlines from political editor Mark Preston.
“Everyone in the business knows CNN has the ‘Best Political Team on Television,’ but not everybody knows the extent of the massive team in the wings supplementing, reporting, and breaking political news every single day on-air and online,” said Sam Feist, CNN political director and vice president of Washington-based programming. “The new CNNPolitics.com will spotlight the extensive political news apparatus that truly makes CNN the place for politics.”
Every day up until the election and every hour into prime time, CNN will provide live on-air updates from the CNNPolitics.com desk in the Washington Bureau, further extending the reach of CNN’s political reporting across platforms. In addition to regular cut-ins from Preston and deputy political editor Paul Steinhauser, CNN anchors and correspondents, including Blitzer, chief political correspondent/anchor Candy Crowley and chief national correspondent/anchor John King, also will report the latest up-to-the-minute political news from the CNNPolitics.com desk.
CNN Press Release:CNN = Debates for the 2010 Midterm Election Season
CNN is the place for political debates throughout the midterm election season. The network is partnering with educational institutions and local media outlets to moderate important debates that will better inform local constituents as they make their decision on the upcoming races.
Members of the Best Political Team of Television including anchors Wolf Blitzer, Candy Crowley and John King are slated to moderate debates in the closing days of this election season in various bellwether states. More debate announcements to follow.In Florida, CNN will have a debate doubleheader, partnering with the St. Petersburg Times and the University of South Florida for two nationally-televised debates from USF’s Tampa campus.
On Wednesday, October 13 at 7:30 p.m., lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer will co-host a 90-minute showdown in Delaware between candidates, Chris Coons (D) and Christine O'Donnell (R), vying for Vice President Joe Biden’s former Senate seat. Blitzer will join Delaware public television anchor Nancy Karibjanian at the University of Delaware to co-moderate the debate, parts of which will air nationally on CNN. Blitzer also will anchor a special edition of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer live from the campus from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., prior to the debate.
On Sunday, October 24, chief political correspondent and anchor Candy Crowley will moderate a one-hour debate among Gov. Charlie Crist (who is seeking an independent bid), Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) and Marco Rubio (R). The debate will air live at 9 a.m. and replay at noon on CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley.
The following evening, Monday, October 25, chief national correspondent and anchor John King will take the stage to host a one-hour debate between Florida’s gubernatorial candidates, Rick Scott (R) and Alex Sink (D). The debate will begin at 7 p.m. and air live on a special edition of John King, USA.
CNN.com Breaks Multiple Traffic Records on Election Day
CNN Press Release - On Election Day, CNN.com broke traffic records across several metrics, including unique visitors, page views and live video streams.
With 30 million unique visitors, CNN.com attracted the largest daily audience in its history, more than doubling the previous record of 13.4 million generated on Super Tuesday of this year.
CNN.com generated a remarkable 282.5 million page views, also marking the highest day in the site's history and more than doubling its previous record of 103.2 million page views from Super Tuesday of this year. On Election Day, CNN.com's traffic peaked during the 9pm ET hour with 35.6 million page views.
CNN.com Live, the Internet's only multi-stream, live video news service smashed previous records by serving 5.3 million live streams on Election Day. The number of live video streams served by CNN.com on Election Day is nearly triple that of its previous daily streaming record, which was set on September 1, 2008 - the first day of the RNC and the day Hurricane Gustav made landfall. CNN.com also served an additional 6.8 million on-demand video streams on Nov. 4.
CNNPolitics.com also saw record-breaking traffic on Election Day, generating 30.1 million page views - a 43 percent increase over its pervious record. Furthermore, CNN.com's special Election Section alone generated 103.2 million page views.
The Political Ticker, the No. 1 political news blog according to Nielsen Online, generated 8.7 million page views, scoring its second best day ever.
