Thursday, February 26, 2009

CNN Announces 2009 Black in America Sequel

CNN Press Release - Anderson Cooper and Soledad O’Brien Anchor Live Special Following Replay of Original Series on Feb. 26

With an historic presidential administration already initiating a nationwide dialogue on race, CNN continues its enterprising look at the state of Black America. Building upon its acclaimed 2008documentary Black in America, CNN announced today plans to continue the probing series with a three-part television event in 2009 that will focus on successful innovators who are working to make improvements within African American communities and around the country. As production begins on the 2009 initiative, CNN will rebroadcast two nights of the extremely successful 2008 series reported by anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien.

Black in America: The Black Woman & Family will air on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. Black in America: The Black Man will air on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. All times Eastern. Both documentaries have a running time of two hours. Nearly 13 million cumulative viewers saw the original series, which included a co-production with Essence magazine and Eyewitness to Murder: The King Assassination.

“As the new president plans his first national address before both houses of Congress, CNN is already deeply engaged in reporting and providing analysis of how the new policies and leadership will specifically impact the lives of everyday African Americans – as only CNN can do,” said Jon Klein, president CNN/U.S.

A special edition of Anderson Cooper 360º will air on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 10 p.m. Eastern, following the re-broadcast of Black in America: The Black Man. Anchors Anderson Cooper and O’Brien will discuss the impact of the new administration’s challenge to outdated racial paradigms, and how the new leadership and policies are being received by African Americans in particular. They will also examine local people and programs around the country that have already been driving community change, educational and economic opportunities.

Cooper and O’Brien will look closely at “Journey for Change,” a program that engages economically disadvantaged youth, offering them opportunities to see the world, develop self-confidence and motivate them to pursue their goals. O’Brien traveled to South Africa with Malaak Compton-Rock, humanitarian and wife of entertainer Chris Rock, and 30 young people from Brooklyn as part of a cultural exchange program. The goal of the exchange is to inspire the young participants to re-examine their life situations and engage in programs that benefit their home communities.

Cooper and O’Brien will also explore the successful strategies of Steve Perry, principal and founder of the Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Conn. Perry, an author and counselor to prominent politicians, prepares young people for college with “tough love” aimed at students, their parents, and teachers.

Black in America: Today’s Pioneers and Black in America: Tomorrow’s Leaders will debut in July 2009. In addition, a special co-production with Essence magazine, featuring leaders and community organizers, will be filmed in New Orleans at the Essence Music Festival in July and broadcast on CNN in August.

About Black in America
The Black Woman & Family explores the first-time reunion of the white and Black branches of the Rand family in Houston, Tex., and profiles women and families meeting the challenges of single parenthood, HIV/AIDS, and examines the status of the African American middle class.

The Black Man profiles men living lives as responsible fathers and community leaders – and others living lives of challenges that highlight their critical roles in African American families and communities.

Black in America is produced by CNN Productions. Jeffery Reid and Bud Bultman are managing editors for the series. Jody Gottlieb is the executive director for CNN Productions; Mark Nelson is the vice president and senior executive producer. Black in America was filmed in high definition.

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.

Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

HLN SCORES MOST GROWTH OF ANY CABLE NEWS NETWORK

CNN Press Release - Nancy Grace, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell Posts Highest 7 P.M. Ratings in Network HistoryBeats Countdown with Keith Olbermann for Third Consecutive Month

In February, HLN posted the largest year-to-year gains of any cable news network in primetime, the third consecutive month it earned that claim among both total viewers and the key P25-54 demographic. It also enjoyed more P25-54 growth than its competitors in total day for the recently completed reporting period. HLN’s growth was fueled in part by the success of Nancy Grace at 8 p.m., which beat MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann in the key P25-54 demo to rank as the No. 5 program in all of cable news.

HLN’s M-Su primetime audience grew by 56 percent in total viewers over a year ago (671,000 vs. 431,000) and by 62 percent in P25-54 (272,000 vs. 168,000), with each weekday program from 7 p.m. on enjoying increases in excess of 30% in the key P25-54 demo. Gains in total day were also impressive, building by 19 percent in total viewers (333,000 vs. 279,000) and 28% in P25-54 (151,000 vs. 118,000).

Nancy Grace topped Countdown with an average of 470,000 P25-54 viewers at 8 p.m. in February 2009, versus the 448,000 mark attained by Countdown. Nancy Grace’s audience grew an impressive 83 percent over last year in the key demo and 74 percent in total viewers – the greatest growth of any cable news program in its time period. Nancy Grace also outperformed Countdown among P25-54 in their same-day repeat telecasts at 10 p.m. (310,000 vs. 285,000).

In its fourth full month on the air, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell posted the network’s largest 7 p.m. audience in P25-54 (241,000) since the launch of HLN’s primetime block in February 2005 – beating its own record set last month. The show also scored the largest P2+ audience at 7 p.m. in the network’s history (596,000).

Showbiz Tonight scored its highest month ever at 11 p.m. in the P25-54 demo (237,000). The show also scored the most growth in the demo in its time period with an impressive 33 percent gain over February 2008.

HLN, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, updates viewers constantly, 24 hours each day, with complete and concise national newscasts throughout the day and a compelling slate of legal, entertainment and talk programs night. The network delivers fast-paced, lively and engaging news, using the best resources of CNN Worldwide. HLN is designed especially for viewers who want relevant and comprehensive news in a way that suits the urgency of their schedules.

Labels: , , ,

Monday, February 23, 2009

CNN Breaks New Ground On-Air and Online to Cover President Obama’s Address to Congress

CNN Press Release - CNN.com and Facebook Join Forces for First Time Since Inauguration; Wolf Blitzer, Campbell Brown, Anderson Cooper and John King Lead Network’s Special Coverage

After setting the record for the largest live video event in Internet history on the day of Pres. Obama’s inauguration, CNN.com and Facebook again will partner on Feb. 24 to enable users to connect and engage with each other while watching live the President’s first address to Congress.

Additionally, CNN continues to break new ground in its political coverage with anchor John King hosting a special online-exclusive edition of State of the Union with John King from noon to 1 p.m. on CNN.com Live, where users can watch as well as pose questions to members of the Best Political Team on Television and comment on their analysis in real-time. From 8 a.m. until midnight on Feb. 24, CNN.com Live, the Internet’s only multi-stream live video news service, will provide continuous, live coverage – featuring numerous CNN anchors and analysts – produced specifically for the digital audience.

On television, anchors Wolf Blitzer, Campbell Brown, Anderson Cooper and John King will lead special coverage from the Election Center in New York. Throughout the evening, members of the Best Political Team on Television, including CNN Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger and CNN Political Analyst Roland Martin, will analyze the expectations facing the president and break down his address. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a special edition of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, followed by special editions of Lou Dobbs Tonight and Campbell Brown: No Bias. No Bull.

Shortly before the 9 p.m. address, Blitzer will set the stage and introduce President Obama. Both CNN and CNN.com will provide live coverage of President Obama’s speech and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s GOP response.

A special two-hour edition of Anderson Cooper 360º starts immediately after the President’s address, with Blitzer and Cooper leading the discussion with CNN’s correspondents and an ideologically diverse panel of political analysts. Larry King will host a live, midnight edition of Larry King Live on CNN’s television networks.

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, CNN.com will provide comprehensive reporting and analysis on the issues Obama is expected to raise in his evening address, in particular the economy. As part of its dedicated coverage, the site will enable users to track the current economic climate state-by-state across various categories and indicators, including unemployment rate, foreclosures and job sector changes; as well as showcase personal stories to provide perspective to the impact of the nation’s financial health.

Additionally, CNN.com Live users will be able to update their own Facebook status directly from the CNN.com Live player; and also see status updates from their friends and other Facebook users on CNN.com Live. On Facebook, the status updates for those using CNN.com Live will be published in their News Feed with hyperlinked tags that read “via CNN.com Live” so users’ friends on Facebook can click the tag and join the CNN.com Live/Facebook experience.

Following the special edition of State of the Union with John King at noon, the hosts of Your $$$$$ Ali Velshi and Christine Romans will host a CNN.com Live-exclusive program, State of the Economy beginning at 1 p.m. During the two-hour special, also featuring personal finance editor Gerri Willis, CNNMoney.com anchor Poppy Harlow and CNN.com Live anchor Melissa Long, members of the CNN Money Team will answer phone calls, emails and iReport questions from users and viewers about the economy.

Throughout the remainder of the day, CNN.com Live will be anchored by Reggie Aqui, Naamua Delaney, Nicole Lapin and Melissa Long, and will feature guests including chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour and finance expert Suze Orman.

Coverage across other CNN networks and platforms will include: viewer commentary and reaction via mobile devices, emails and Facebook on HLN; live coverage of the address, as well as analysis and reactions from around the world on CNN International; custom reports for CNN Newsource affiliates from correspondent Sandra Endo and RunningMate correspondent Samantha Hayes; live anchored coverage and special reports for affiliates which will stream live on CNN.com from CNN Radio’s Lisa Desjardins and Bob Costantini; special coverage for the classroom and teacher materials from CNN Student News; and live analysis before and after the 9 p.m. address from correspondent Juan Carlos López on CNN en Español.

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.

Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, February 15, 2009

New Downloads - Richard Quest, Naamua Delaney, Nicole Lapin and more!

Check out our downloads section for new wallpapers featuring Richard Quest, Naamua Delaney, Nicole Lapin, Hala Gorani, and more!

Labels: , , , ,

Friday, February 13, 2009

Anderson Cooper 360°’s Second ‘Money Summit’ will Examine Economic Stimulus Package

CNN Press Release - CNN chief business correspondent Ali Velshi leads a fast-paced panel discussion for CNN’s second “Money Summit,” which looks at the economic stimulus package and the timeline for how quickly it might reverse the effects of a wealth destroying recession. This Anderson Cooper 360° special, “CNN Money Summit,” airs on Tuesday, February 17, at 11 p.m. (ET) and will re-air Friday, Feb 20 at 11p.m. (ET)

For the second Money Summit, CNN will again work closely with Fortune and Money magazines as well as CNNMoney.com to examine the latest issues facing our economy. Velshi and the panel of experts will explore the big questions and possible solutions using the latest on-air technologies and questions submitted via iReport and Facebook. The panel includes: Katie Benner, writer/reporter, Fortune; Telis Demos, writer/reporter, Fortune; David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst, Donna Rosanto, senior writer, MONEY magazine, Andy Serwer, editor, Fortune; and Walter Updegrave, senior editor, MONEY magazine.

The panel will discuss the details of the stimulus package and the mixture of government spending and tax breaks to consumers and businesses. The solutions oriented discussion will focus on the impact of the stimulus package on the job market, the housing market and the stock market. Additionally, the panel will explore whether, with so much money and political capital being used to kick start the economy, the President will be able to fulfill campaign promises on initiatives such as green energy and reforming healthcare?

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.

Labels: , , ,

Thursday, February 12, 2009

OPEC Secretary General urges Russia to cut production on CNN's Marketplace Middle East

Abdalla Salem El-Badri, Secretary General OPEC told CNN’s John Defterios in an exclusive interview today, “For the non-OPEC I visit Russia, I talked to the president, I talked to the minister and I urged them that you know they should join us in a cutting production and I'm taking this opportunity to ask also Norway and Mexico to join us, because if the market collapse it's not of the benefit of anybody.”

Defterios asked whether the markets should be stabilised at around $50 a barrel to which he responded: "I think that $40 will not permit us to invest, to have a reasonable price where you can invest, where you can have another source of energy then from $70-$80 a barrel is fair, but $40 and even $50 will not permit us to invest. There will be no additional capacity when the market will, when the economy will pick up then you will not find additional, additional capacity."
The full interview will air on Marketplace Middle East on CNN International at the times below and excerpts will be aired on Quest Means Business tonight at 1900 GMT:
Friday: 0915, 1945 GMT
Saturday: 0645 GMT
Sunday: 0815 GMT

Labels: , ,

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Jaconi Joins State of the Union with John King as Executive Producer

CNN Press Release - Michelle Jaconi, a 12-year veteran of NBC’s Meet the Press, will join CNN Worldwide as executive producer of State of the Union with John King, the network’s bold new Sunday block of programming that blends newsmaker interviews, political analysis, national and world affairs, cultural segments, media analysis and commentary.

“From the moment we conceived of State of the Union, we knew we had to find an executive producer who appreciated the special role of Sunday talk shows,” said Sam Feist, CNN’s political director and vice president of Washington-based programming. “Michelle, with her experience in landing and producing brilliant interviews, will help us leverage the resources of CNN’s political team and newsgathering operation to create a program unlike any other.”

“Michelle is a perfect fit for our team and our mission,” John King said. “Her deep experience in smart and aggressive Sunday morning television speaks for itself. And her passion for making things relevant to the people who matter most – the families and communities outside Washington – is what we’re looking for in this key leadership role.”

“Joining CNN and State of the Union at this moment in history is an extraordinary opportunity,” Jaconi said. “CNN is at the top of its game, and John is the best political reporter of his time. I’m honored to work with John and his team to reinvent Sunday morning news. It’s the right time, the right network and the right reporter. ”

Jaconi began working for Meet the Press, the longest-running television program in the world, in 1997, starting as an intern and working her way up to producer and political analyst. Over the past decade, she served as researcher, production associate and political and policy analyst for both Meet the Press and NBC’s Political and Polling Unit. She produced interviews with U.S. presidents and military leaders, foreign heads of state, numerous religious figures, as well as every candidate for president in the last two election cycles.

Jaconi served as a booker for NBC News Special Events with Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams, serving in that capacity for election nights and numerous award-winning broadcasts including the funeral of Ronald Reagan and the coverage of the Iraq war. She also helped produce NBC’s “Meet the Press Senate Debate Series,” which was a repeat winner of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.

She earned a degree in international politics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and later earned her master’s degree with honors distinction. While earning her master’s, she wrote for PoliticsNow.com, a Web site that was co-owned by the Washington Post, ABC News and the National Journal Group.

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.

Labels: , , , ,

Soledad O’Brien Leads CNN’s Network-Wide From Lincoln to Obama

CNN Press Release - Special Coverage Examines Bridge Between 16th and 44th Presidents on Feb. 12, Beginning at 9 a.m. (ET)

Anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien leads a CNN special live event, From Lincoln to Obama, on Thursday, Feb. 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (ET). Along with Newsroom anchors Don Lemon and Kyra Phillips, O’Brien and CNN will take a network-wide look at the bridge between the times of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama on the bicentennial celebration of Lincoln’s birth.

CNN will broadcast live from Lincoln bicentennial events in Washington, D.C., and Springfield, Ill., as the network builds upon the original and innovative coverage of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and the Obama inauguration. With live reports on the new administration, the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, CNN explores the state of affairs – both now and in the 1860s – that tie these two presidents together.

The day’s coverage includes live reports about Obama’s visit to Lincoln’s home in Springfield. Campbell Brown: No Bias. No Bull. will air the president’s speech from that location at about 8:45 p.m. (ET). Anderson Cooper 360° will include analysis and reporting about Obama’s day in Springfield at 10 p.m. (ET)

From the Springfield announcements of their respective presidential campaigns to Obama using Lincoln’s inaugural ceremony bible at his own swearing-in ceremony, Lincoln and Obama face a number of extraordinary national challenges.

Additionally, Obama’s public admiration of Lincoln has inspired a renewed fascination with the 16th president. A Lincoln biography hit the best seller list after Obama was photographed with it as he carried it with him on the campaign trail. Fan clubs and Web sites are dedicated to Lincoln 200 years after his birth, stimulating a new pop culture captivation of his life and times and how they bridge across current affairs today.

Award-winning actor Sam Waterston will re-enact Lincoln’s famous speeches for CNN’s audience. Waterston has portrayed Lincoln on stage and screen and also serves on the Advisory Committee for the Lincoln Bicentennial.

iReport.com, the network’s user-generated online news community, will invite contributors to read Lincoln’s second inaugural address, which will be edited together to recreate the speech in a video that will be a part of CNN’s special coverage.

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.

Labels: , , , , ,

Monday, February 09, 2009

International Desk Launched!

"Live from CNN Center..." International Desk launched just minutes ago on CNN International. Anchored by Hala Gorani, this show is based very much on CNN Domestic's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.

What are your thoughts of this new show? Hit the comment button below and let us know what you think!

View more captures of the new show at our partner site, cnnfan.org!

Labels: , , , ,

CNN Plans Special Coverage of President’s First Prime-time News Conference

CNN Press Release - CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer, Campbell Brown, Anderson Cooper and John King, joined by members of the Best Political Team on Television, will provide viewers with live, expansive coverage and analysis of President Barack Obama’s first prime-time news conference on Monday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. The team will broadcast live from the state-of-the-art Election Center in New York, the center of CNN’s record-breaking coverage of the 2008 presidential election.

Monday’s programming begins with a special edition of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer dedicated to discussing the upcoming event from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Lou Dobbs Tonight will follow at 7 p.m., with Blitzer returning shortly before Obama takes the podium. Special programming will continue through the 9 p.m. hour with Blitzer, Brown, Cooper and King providing follow-up analysis with commentary from the Best Political Team on Television. A special edition of Anderson Cooper 360° begins at 10 p.m. and continues live through midnight. Obama’s news conference will air again at midnight. All times Eastern.

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.

Labels: , , , , , , ,

Friday, February 06, 2009

CNNI Unveils New Set

CNN International has unveiled its new set in Atlanta. The big reveal came at 1:30 Atlanta time.

Studio A had been under construction for the past 5 weeks or so. The new studio features 13 new screens and multiple presentation positions for the various shows that originate from Atlanta.


Below is the studio debuting during "The Political Mann".









The BackStory team also took viewers around part of the new studio:












You can also find plenty more pictures and discussion, as well as a video tour at CNNFan.org by clicking here


Labels:

U.S. Airways Pilot, Crew Join King on Feb. 9 to Recount Hudson River Crash

CNN’s Larry King sits with U.S. Airways pilot Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, along with First Officer Jeffrey Skiles and flight attendants Sheila Dail, Doreen Welsh and Donna Dent, on Larry King Live on Monday, Feb. 9, at 9 p.m. (ET) to recount their survival after an emergency water landing in New York’s Hudson River.

In what will be the crew’s first live prime-time and cable news interview, King and his guests discuss the Jan. 15 ordeal in which all 155 crew and passengers aboard the Airbus A320 jetliner survived. Guests will take viewer phone calls and e-mail questions.

Larry King Live airs nightly from 9-10 p.m. (ET). For more information on upcoming shows or to locate past transcripts, visit http://www.CNN.com/larryking. Wendy Walker is the senior executive producer of Larry King Live.

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.

Labels: , ,

Thursday, February 05, 2009

What CNN.com Didn't Tell You About Their Election Coverage...

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Black In America 2: Solutions Airs This July

Soledad O'Brien hosts Black In America 2: Solutions on CNN this July. More information to follow in the coming months.

Labels: , , ,

Monday, February 02, 2009

CNN's iReport Unveils New Island in Second Life

CNN Press Release - Building upon the popularity of iReport in the virtual world of Second Life, CNN has relocated to its own island. This island features new ‘in-world’ geographic elements and meeting spaces, including a virtual drive-in theater complete with a snack bar and vintage cars where visitors can view recent in-world iReports, pick up iReport gear to dress their avatars and check out the iReport.com/secondlife page.

CNN’s mission for iReport within Second Life remains as it did upon launch in 2008: to provide Second Life residents a way to identify and share news and events happening within their virtual community through the submission of “SL iReports.”

On the new iReport island, residents also will find the SL iReport news desk and an amphitheater, which where part of the original iReport hub and will continue to serve as places to host weekly editorial discussions, training and appearances by CNN journalists and correspondents. During the weekly discussions, held each Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. SLT), CNN’s SL iReport ambassadors, CNN producers and editors active in virtual worlds moderate conversations with residents about the prior week’s SL iReports and upcoming in-world events that might be interesting to cover.

Labels: ,

Sunday, February 01, 2009

CNN Digital Network Tops All News and Information Sites in 2008

CNN Press Release - CNN Digital No. 1 in Page Views and Total Minutes; CNNMoney.com Surpasses All Financial News Video Sites;

CNN Mobile Beats All Competitors for 23 Consecutive Months

The CNN Digital Network generated nearly 20 billion page views and 17 billion total minutes last year, making it the No. 1 news and information site in 2008 based on recent data from Nielsen Online. Year-end Nielsen figures also reflect that CNNMoney.com was the No. 1 financial news video site in 2008, and CNN Mobile maintained the top spot among all mobile Internet news providers.

"The strategic collaboration between CNN's networks and platforms – in particular TV and online – set CNN.com apart from the competition last year,” said KC Estenson, CNN.com senior vice president and general manager. “Throughout 2008, CNN.com offered Internet users a meaningful news experience and connected people to the world’s events more deeply than ever before.”

CNN Digital’s No. 1 rankings over all other news and information sites reflect a strong competitive lead across both total minutes and page views. In terms of total minutes, CNN Digital averaged 1.4 billion minutes per month in 2008, beating No. 2 MSNBC Digital by 25 percent and No. 3 Wikipedia by 35 percent, as well as No. 5 Yahoo! News by 63 percent and No. 9 Fox News Digital by more than 160 percent. CNN Digital also averaged 1.7 billion page views per month, topping its nearest competitor MSNBC Digital by 45 percent, No. 3 Wikipedia by 61 percent, No. 5 Yahoo! News by 127 percent and No. 8 Fox News Digital by 214 percent. (Source: Nielsen Online)

Throughout the year, CNN Digital’s exceptional coverage of the 2008 Election resulted in No. 1 rankings for more primaries, conventions and presidential commission debates than any other online news network. CNN was the No.1 online news property on Election Day 2008 as it attracted its largest audience ever with 12.8 million unique visitors, more than 700,000 higher than MSNBC Digital and 1.4 million higher than Yahoo! News. Additionally in 2008, the Political Ticker was the No. 1 political news blog according to Nielsen Online. (Source: Nielsen Online).

Holding the No.1 spot among video news sites for the last four months of 2008, CNN Digital also had a banner year for video usage. Additionally, with high consumer demand for news and information about the financial crisis, CNNMoney.com served more video streams in 2008 than any other financial news site with 186.6 million video streams, besting its closest competitor, MSN Money, by 237 percent. (Source: Nielsen Video Census).

In total, CNN.com served nearly 1.5 billion video streams in 2008, an 84 percent increase over last year. CNN.com Live, the Internet’s only multi-stream live video news service, nearly tripled its monthly video stream count in 2008 as it served an average of 6.9 million live streams per month, a 294 percent increase over last year. (Source: Omniture SiteCatalyst)

November was CNN.com Live’s highest traffic month in 2008 when it served 14.8 million live video streams globally, with Election Day marking the highest day of the year with 5.3 million live streams. Events that drove other top traffic days in 2008 for CNN.com Live included the day after the 2008 Election, the kickoff of the Republican National Convention and Hurricane Gustav’s landfall, October’s vice-presidential debate and Hurricane Ike’s landfall. (Source: Omniture SiteCatalyst)

CNN led the mobile news space in 2008 averaging more than 8 million unique visitors per month, more than doubling its nearest competitor Yahoo! News. The No. 1 mobile Internet news provider for 23 months running, CNN Mobile also beat No. 3 Fox News Digital by 238 percent, No. 4 ABC News by 281 percent, No. 5 Google News by 300 percent and MSNBC by 315 percent in 2008. (Source: Nielsen Mobile, Jan. – Nov. 2008). Additionally, in the fourth quarter of 2008, CNN Mobile ranked No. 1 among all mobile content sites, beating such providers as Weather Channel and ESPN (Source: Nielsen Mobile, Oct. – Nov. 2008; Dec. ’08 data not yet available).

As the global financial crisis intensified in 2008, CNNMoney.com’s usage minutes sky-rocketed, registering 1.8 billion total minutes for the year, representing growth of 378 percent compared to 2007. Additionally, CNNMoney.com registered 2.5 billion page views in 2008, a 49 percent year-over-year increase, and averaged 9.1 million unique visitors per month, a 19 percent increase over 2007. (Source: Nielsen Online)

“By combining breaking news, in-depth analysis, perspective and actionable advice, CNNMoney.com is a user experience unlike any other in our category,” said Jonathan Shar, senior vice president and general manager, CNNMoney.com. “This distinctive combination of high quality, trusted content makes it a go-to destination for more and more engaged users.”

In 2008, CNN.com also took a bold step with the launch of iReport.com, CNN’s user-generated news community. From its February launch through the end of 2008, the site registered more than 214,000 iReport.com contributors and received more than 188,000 photo and video submissions (Source: CNN/iReport Internal Database). According to Nielsen Online, iReport.com averaged 2.5 million unique visitors, 9.6 million page views and 10.1 million total minutes per month in 2008.

CNN.com is the world's No. 1 destination for online and wireless news, garnering the greatest audience share of total minutes among current events and global news sites. Launched in 1995, CNN.com draws from the resources of CNN Worldwide and its many partners to provide consumers with the most enriching, immediate interaction with news anywhere, seamlessly combining articles, videos, images, interactive features and user-generated content. CNN.com’s news video offering – both live and on-demand – is unparalleled on the Web. CNN.com’s recent awards include an Edward R. Murrow award, a National Headliner award, four EPpy awards and the Online News Association’s award for general excellence.

Labels: , , ,

Howard Kurtz calls out Bernie Goldberg on today's "Reliable Sources"

CNN Press Release - Today on CNN’s Reliable Sources, host Howard Kurtz addresses Bernard Goldberg on-air regarding the cancellation of his appearance on the program. A transcript of Howard’s remarks are below and a framegrab is attached.

KURTZ: Before we go to break, author Bernard Goldberg was scheduled to appear on this program to talk about his new book on media bias – until Friday, when he abruptly canceled, without explanation, even though his people had approached us.

Now, I assume Bernie respects my work. His book, about the press supposedly being in the tank for Barack Obama, quotes me and my articles several times. There it is. He’s been out flogging the thing with Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Lou Dobbs – people who agree with him. Do you think, maybe, he doesn’t want to leave his pals and face some skeptical questioning? Come on, Bernie, we’ll have a good debate on this issue, one-on-one, without bias. You’re welcome here anytime.

Labels: , , , ,

CNN Twitter Pages

While you're visiting our new twitter page, be sure to check out twitter pages from some of the other CNN'ers around the world:

http://twitter.com/bettynguyencnn - Betty Nguyen; Anchor, CNN Saturday, CNN Sunday, CNN Newsroom
http://twitter.com/cnn - CNN
http://twitter.com/CNN_Newsroom - CNN Newsroom
http://twitter.com/BackStory - BackStory
http://twitter.com/cnnbrk - CNN Breaking News
http://twitter.com/cnndotcomlive - CNN.com Live
http://twitter.com/cnni - CNN.com International
http://twitter.com/cnninthefield - In The Field Blog
http://twitter.com/cnnireport - CNN iReport
http://twitter.com/CNNMoney_mkts - CNN Money Markets
http://twitter.com/CNNMoney_News - CNN Money News
http://twitter.com/donlemoncnn - Don Lemon; Anchor, CNN Newsroom
http://twitter.com/HowardKurtz - Howard Kurtz; Host, "Reliable Sources", State Of The Union with John King
http://twitter.com/jacquje - Jacqui Jeras; Meterologist, CNN Domestic
http://twitter.com/nicolelapin - Nicole Lapin; Anchor, CNN.com Live
http://twitter.com/politicalticker - Political Ticker
http://twitter.com/richardquest - Richard Quest; Host, Quest Means Business, CNN Business Traveller
http://twitter.com/ricksanchezcnn - Rick Sanchez; Anchor, CNN Newsroom; Contributor, CNN En Español
http://twitter.com/tjholmescnn - T.J. Holmes; Anchor, CNN Saturday, CNN Sunday, CNN Newsroom
http://twitter.com/CNNMoney - CNNMoney.com
http://twitter.com/toriblaseCNN - Tori Blase; CNN Supervisor/Executive Producer

Happy Tweeting!!

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

International Desk Launches Monday on CNNI

International Desk brings viewers into the heart of the largest news gathering operation in the world. Viewers don't come here to "watch" the news; they come here to be immersed in it, to feel the rush of being the first to know what's happening as stories break, and to leave knowing they've gotten the best and latest information available.

We're hearing rumors of who the host of this new show might be... actually, we might just know who it is. ;) But we want to know who YOU think it should be!


Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

We're Now On Twitter!

Join in the conversation at http://www.twitter.com/cnnobservations! Click the "Follow" button to ensure you don't miss out on anything!

Labels: