CNN Press Release - Nationally Syndicated Radio Host and Best-Selling Financial Expert Clark Howard and CNN Journalist Isha Sesay Join New Show Airing 5-7 p.m. ET

NEW YORK, NY, May 22, 2012—HLN launches a new destination for news and information with Evening Express, hosted by Ryan Smith, beginning Monday, June 4. This new addition to HLN’s schedule will air weeknights, 5-7 p.m. ET, and feature HLN’s popular personal finance expert Clark Howard, and CNN’s Isha Sesay, it was announced by Scot Safon, Executive Vice President and General Manager, HLN. Evening Express will be based at the network’s global headquarters in Atlanta.

“HLN is excited to offer our viewers an evening news program that centers on the news and information they’ll discuss around the dinner table,” said Safon. “The format and tone of Evening Express was inspired by our hit show Morning Express with Robin Meade. Viewers tell us all the time that they love how Robin and the Morning Express team start their day on HLN, and now Ryan, Clark and Isha will be welcoming them home in the evening.”

Evening Express will provide an energetic, inspirational and solutions-oriented look at the day’s news, accompanied by deeper discussions and reporting on stories and issues that resonate in the American household, including parenting, education, health, personal finance and relationships.

Evening Express will also have a deep a social footprint, engaging with viewers and users on all platforms.  In tandem with its June 4 launch, the show’s digital extensions will include Facebook (Facebook.com/EveningExpressHLN), Twitter (@EveningExp) and a dedicated blog on HLN’s recently launched web site, HLNtv.com (HLNtv.com/EveningExpress) that will feature distinctive angles on the stories of the day. Evening Express hosts can also be followed at @ryansmithtv, @IshaSesayCNN and @ClarkHoward.

Smith, a familiar HLN on-air presence in 2011 as a result of his reporting during the Casey Anthony and Conrad Murray trials, was a member of the Morning Express team and host of programming during InSession on truTV. A sports and entertainment lawyer with a degree from Columbia Law School, Smith covers a wide variety of news stories and has a personal interest in health and wellness issues.

Howard is one of HLN’s most popular personalities, with a wildly successful nationally syndicated radio program and personal finance website in addition to his regular appearances on HLN weekends and Morning Express with Robin Meade. In 2011, his book, “Clark Howard’s Living Large in Lean Times,” spent 21 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list, his third to make that list. With the launch of Evening Express, the personal finance guru will now bring his expert advice to viewers later in the day, answering specific consumer questions and providing information that is applicable and actionable to a wide spectrum of the audience.

Sesay is well known to CNN audiences for her work as an anchor for CNN International, hosting the daily news program CNN NewsCenter and weekly program BackStory, and serving as the nightly “360 Bulletin” correspondent on Anderson Cooper 360°. In addition, she files reports for African Voices and Inside Africa, CNN International’s award-winning, weekly program dedicated to providing viewers with an inside look of Africa.On HLN’s Evening Express, she will bring her strong reporting skills and a point of view informed by her experience covering news stories from across the globe.

CNN veteran Angie Massie is the Executive Producer of Evening Express. Katherine Green is Senior Vice President and Managing Editor, HLN.  Steve Rosenberg is Director of Dayside Programming, HLN.

About HLN

HLN is the national television network that focuses on the “must-see, must-share” stories of the day.  Drawing upon the network’s deep bench of talent, including Robin Meade, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Nancy Grace, and Dr. Drew Pinsky, HLN dissects and demystifies the news stories and newsmakers people are talking about.

HLNtv.com, the network’s new digital platform, is the online destination for users to go deeper into the top stories driving the conversation and generating the national buzz.

HLN is a CNN Worldwide network reaching more than 100 million households in the U.S. CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information.

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Errol Barnett has been named as the new host of CNN International's Inside Africa. Barnett replaces Isha Sesay. The announcement was made on the Inside Africa facebook page late Tuesday.

"We have a very special announcement about Inside Africa. We are pleased to welcome CNN’s Errol Barnett, who has moved to the continent to become the new host of Inside Africa.

Errol will be embarking on a journey of discovery around Africa, and we invite you to take this journey with him. This week, we start in Zambia – where you will experience everything from the historical town of Livingstone to a bungee jump from the bridge near Victoria Falls.

After years of incredible work on the show, Isha Sesay will be moving on to focus on BackStory and her work with AC360, among her many other projects. Thanks again to Isha for everything, and welcome Errol to the IA Team!"

Barnett's appointment to hosting duties means the program will now be hosted full time from the African continent itself. It was previously taped at CNN International's headquarters in Atlanta. On Twitter, Barnett commented that he was "thrilled to be joining the [Inside Africa] team".

Sam Rogers has been named African Journalist of the Year at the 2010 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards.

The South African - who works as an Executive Producer of Factuals, Crime and Investigation Unit, for e.tv - won for her story "Curse of the Nobody People," which highlights the discrimination of albinos in Tanzania.

Journalists from across Africa have also been recognized with awards across 15 categories, including: Mohamed Amin Photographic Award, Television Features Award and The HIV/AIDS Reporting Award.

A ceremony - held in Kampala, Uganda on Saturday - was hosted by CNN International anchor Isha Sesay, and attended by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, along with other dignitaries from Africa, Europe and America.

The full list of winners follows:

• ARTS & CULTURE AWARD - Kofi Akpabli, Freelance for Daily Graphic, Ghana
• DIGITAL JOURNALISM AWARD - The Dispatch Online Team on behalf of 'The Daily Dispatch' in South Africa
• ECONOMICS & BUSINESS AWARD - Kaari Wainaina and Francis Mugo Mwangi, NTV Nation Broadcasting Division, Kenya
• ENVIRONMENT AWARD - Halima Abdallah Kisule, EastAfrican (Nation Media Group), Uganda
• FRANCOPHONE GENERAL NEWS AWARD - Alexandre Lebel Ilboudo, Le Patriote, Cote D'Ivoire
• FRANCOPHONE GENERAL NEWS AWARD - Najlae Benmbarek, 2M TV (Programme Grand Angle), Morocco
• HIV/AIDS REPORTING IN AFRICA AWARD - Lucas Ledwaba, Freelance for DRUM, South Africa
• MSD HEALTH & MEDICAL AWARD - Teresa Chirwa, Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Malawi
• MOHAMED AMIN PHOTOGRAPHIC AWARD - Boniface Mwangi, Freelance for The Star, Kenya
• PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE GENERAL NEWS AWARD - Sebastião Vemba, Novo Jornal, Angola
• PRINT GENERAL NEWS AWARD - Emmanuel Mayah, Daily Sun, Nigeria
• RADIO GENERAL NEWS AWARD - Kassim Mohamed, Star FM, Kenya
• SPORT AWARD - Leon Ssenyange, NTV Uganda, Uganda
• TELEVISION - GENERAL NEWS -- FEATURE/CURRENT AFFAIRS AWARD - Sam Rogers, e.TV, South Africa
• TELEVISION - GENERAL NEWS -- NEWS BULLETIN AWARD - Roseline Wangui, NTV Kenya; and Charles Kariuki, World Vision Kenya for NTV
• TOURISM AWARD - Pelu Awofeso, Freelance for Next on Sunday, Nigeria
• FREE PRESS AFRICA AWARD* - Mustafa Haji Abdinur, Radio Simba, Somalia

* The Award is also in recognition of all the journalists in Somalia who have put their lives at risk in telling the story. Nine journalists died during 2009 whilst fulfilling their professional duties:

• - Abdulkhafar Abdulkadir Hasan, freelance
• - Mohamed Amin Adan Abdulle, Radio Shabelle
• - Hassan Zubeyr Haji Hassan, Al-Arabiya
• - Mohamud Mohamed Yusuf, Radio IQK
• - Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe, Radio Shabelle
• - Nur Muse Hussein, Radio IQK
• - Abdirisak Mohamed Warsame, Radio Shabelle
• - Said Tahlil Ahmed, HornAfrik
• - Hassan Mayow Hassan, Radio Shabelle

Judges also awarded Commendations in eight categories. These journalists received a cash prize and Certificates of Commendation:

• Tsitsi Matope, Public Eye, Lesotho
• Lamia Tagzout, El Watan, Algeria
• Njaka Andriamahery, TV Plus Madagascar
• Zipporah Karani, Kenya Television Newtork (KTN), Kenya
• Sergio José Sitoe, Rede de Comuniação de Miramar, Mozambique
• Thanduxolo Jika, Daily Dispatch, South Africa
• Oarabile Mosikare, Botswana for Mail & Guardian, South Africa
• Rose Ramsay, eNews, South Africa

A special edition of CNN International's 'Inside Africa'will feature highlights from the event and interviews with finalists and winners. The program airs June 5.

CNN Pressroom - More airtime on Africa stories than ever before as CNN’s expanded news base yields wealth of stories for its international audience


CNN International demonstrates its continuing commitment to Africa with the launch in March of brand-new weekly programming dedicated to showcasing the continent’s cultural, sporting, and business highlights. ‘African Voices’ and ‘Africa Inc’ will respectively focus on engaging African personalities and vibrant business stories and will serve together with the popular ‘Inside Africa’ strand to give increased prominence to Africa in all its diversity.

The new programming complements the existing news, economic, political and social output which itself has increased notably since the network expanded its newsgathering presence in Johannesburg, Kenya and Lagos a year ago. Further expansion and investment is planned to support existing Johannesburg bureau staff in the coming months.

“The stories coming out of Africa across the political, economic, sporting and cultural spectrum are of increasing interest to an international audience as the world becomes ever more inter-connected,” said Katherine Green, CNN International SVP Programming. “We are truly excited to be able to dedicate extra resources, enabling us to go beyond the headlines and explore this diverse continent in all its facets.”

In addition to new programming and additional staffing, CNN is investing in local partnerships with key industry events as a signal of its commitment to local integration, such as IMF Tanzania, and Indaba, South Africa. It also continues its longstanding commitment to African journalism in the form of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year awards.

“CNN has never been more strongly represented within Africa, nor Africa more strongly represented on our air,” added Green. “Our goal is for our programming to engage with audiences both inside and outside of the continent and to help bring this continent to life for our viewers.”

CNN has been particularly dedicated to reporting important stories as diverse as the continuing struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe; preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2010; Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations (Robyn Curnow’s ‘Mandela at 90’ report won first place for international reporting at the New York Association of Black Journalists in February 2009); Brent Sadler reporting from Victoria Island, Lagos where a sea defence system is battling against coastal erosion, and David McKenzie travelling on a homecoming with Kenya’s Olympic gold medal winner, Nancy Lagat. CNN also continues to cover the ongoing developments in Sudan and Chad.

The new programming commitment builds on the hugely successful long-running Inside Africa strand, and sits alongside topical initiatives such as the year-long ‘World Cup 2010 Ready to Play’ programming.

CNN’s programming on Africa is presented by a diverse line-up of expert Africa commentators, including Nkepile Mabuse, Isha Sesay, Robyn Curnow, David McKenzie and Christian Purefoy.

About CNN’s programming

NEW ‘African Voices’, a half-hour weekly programme, showcases engaging African personalities, across all areas from business and politics, to music, the arts and sport. Utilising CNN’s resources, the programme offers viewers a uniquely personal viewpoint; an intimate, candid, up-close discussion. Viewers of ‘African Voices’ will find a different perspective on Africa from that often seen in the mainstream media – thoughtful insights and observations of the energies and confidence driving the success of the continent’s nations, people and individuals.

NEW ‘Africa Inc’, a unique weekly segment contained in CNN’s new flagship business programme, ‘Quest Means Business’, highlights stories that would otherwise go untold, stories that spotlight a region that is roaring onto the world financial stage with the promise of a bright future. Viewers will discover the forces that allow such regions to flourish and succeed, when so much of the planet is suffering financially. The programme highlights key industries breaking new ground; meet first-hand innovative leadership figures who are willing to think and reveal landmark management styles that are behind this new era of business success.

In addition to these two new programming strands, the weekly programme ‘Inside Africa’ remains a cornerstone of CNN’s Africa programming, and is its longest running feature programme. Now in its 10th year, the programme’s host Isha Sesay takes viewers on a weekly journey across the continent, savouring the rich flavour and culture that is distinct to Africa.

As well as these weekly programmes, throughout 2009 CNN International continues to examine the progress of preparations for the world’s biggest sporting event, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, through a series of regular updates and progress reports, ‘World Cup 2010: Ready to Play?’.

About CNN’s newsgathering

In February 2008, CNN broadened its newsgathering presence in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa as part of a robust editorial investment in bringing all facets of Africa’s story to the network’s international audiences.

Correspondents Robyn Curnow and Nkepile Mabuse were appointed to the Johannesburg bureau; David McKenzie in Nairobi and Christian Purefoy in Lagos.

Recent stories in the last 12 months include: Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations; ongoing coverage of Zimbabwe despite being banned from region; continuing coverage of the preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup; reporting of Somali pirates plus special coverage of the Kenyan violence and uprising one year on.


About CNN’s support for African journalism

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards are the premier accolade for excellent journalism across the continent. Last year’s awards attracted entrants from 44 African countries with 23 finalists from all four corners of the continent. Now in their 14th year, the African Journalist Awards are the oldest and most diverse competition of their kind in Africa, and demonstrate CNN’s commitment to the development of media in Africa.

About CNN’s support for local industry events

CNN is active on the ground in Africa not just though its strong editorial coverage but also through the support it lends to local industry events.

In 2009, CNN’s on-air talent will be present at local events, forums and trade fairs, including ‘Inside Africa’ host Isha Sesay at IMF Tanzania focusing on sustaining and building Africa’s recent economic success; and Richard Quest at INDABA South Africa.

The link to Art Of Life has been removed from the pages of the International Edition of CNN.com. It seems this show has been cancelled.

Also, Femi Oke's bio has been removed from the Anchor/Reporter Bio Pages. Seems that Isha Sesay has now been named host of Inside Africa, as you'll see on the show's page. I am working to get confirmation from CNN that Femi has indeed left the network.

Now that the holidays are over, we're getting back into the swing of things here at CNN Observations. We hope you had a great one!

• CNN International has (finally) launched updated pages for some of their programs, including their new program The Campaign Trail hosted by former Insight host and CNN/I Jonathan Mann. The new/updated program pages include The Campaign Trail, Inside Africa, International Correspondents, The Screening Room, and World Report.

• CNN's Washington D.C.-based America Bureau Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena has a new photo on her bio page:


• FishbowlDC is reporting that CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash and CNN National Correspondent John King are engaged. Best of luck to the both of them!

Isha Sesay was presenting the Insight segment during Your World Today at 1645 gmt on CNN/I. YWT was being hosted by Jim Clancy and Hala Gorani, the latter speaking with Isha after the segment.

Isha is usually seen hosting World News at the weekends on CNN/I. However, she has recently been used for other things, including hosting Inside Africa, reporting from Nigeria during the elections and co-hosting Your World Today recently.

Some time back CNN/I ditched Insight in the 30-minute weeknightly format, and turned it into an insert within programmes such as Your World Today and World News. Jonathan Mann has remained the host. It appeared that this was for a trial period to judge the viewer reaction.

What is your view on the changes to Insight? Hit "Comment" and let us know.