Tuesday, July 28, 2009

New Amanpour Show Promo

Check out this new promo for Christiane Amanpour's Forthcoming CNN Show:

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CNN’s State of the Union with John King: The Next Generation of Sunday Talk

CNN Press Release - Building on an election year in which CNN’s innovative coverage set new records for viewership and outdrew both the broadcast and the cable news networks on Election Night, the network launched a new kind of Sunday program earlier this year, State of the Union with John King. Each week, the nation’s top political reporter helms a four hour power block of programming from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (ET) and delves into the top political stories, both inside and outside of Washington.

Since the launch of State of the Union with John King in January, King has interviewed a wide range of key newsmakers, including President Barack Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney, who joined the program for his first television interview since returning to private life. Additionally, King interviewed newly-appointed cabinet members during President Obama’s first 100 days, three of which were exclusive, prior to the other Sunday shows.

King has made it a priority to travel beyond the Beltway each week to hear the voices of everyday Americans, to listen to their stories, and to inform his own reporting in Washington when interviewing newsmakers. Visiting more than two dozen states in the last six months, King has reported from communities such as Lansing, Mich., Orlando, Fla., Selma, Ala., and Spring Hill, Tenn. and has covered issues including the health care debate, the auto industry, the economy and the rise of unemployment during his “American Dispatch” reports and weekly “CNN Diner” segments.

Below are more details along with the successes of State of the Union, thus far:

State of the Union executive producer Michelle Jaconi was hired from NBC to launch CNN’s new Sunday program. Jaconi was a 12-year veteran of Meet the Press with Tim Russert, where she started as an intern and worked her way up to producer and political analyst.

- In a recent TV Week article, producers from all of the Sunday programs agreed that President Obama is the biggest “get” you can achieve for Sunday morning. President-elect Barack Obama was on State of the Union’sdebut program January 18.

- Former Vice President Dick Cheney chose State of the Union for his first television interview since leaving office. Cheney’s assertion to King that the policies of the new president had made Americans “less safe” continues to drive the national dialogue five months later.

- King was the first to interview General David Petraeus and General Ray Odierno after President Obama took office.

- The husband and wife duo of Democratic strategist James Carville and Republican strategist Mary Matalin have chosen State of the Union as the only program where they will appear exclusively together, having previously appeared together only on Meet the Press.

- Sunday, July 5, marked the first time that a high level guest has ever used CNN’s Magic Wall. While King anchored remotely from Los Angeles, Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stepped up to graphically illustrate military strategy through an update of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq on the Magic Wall while in the Washington studio.

- State of the Union makes news relevant and is becoming the next generation of political news by marrying public policy with the American public. The “CNN Diner” segment King conducts each week with locals in various communities empowers everyday Americans to weigh in on issues along with the Washington pundits.

- As far as diversity, King has conducted interviews with more than 200 female and minority guests in the last six months.

- Launch-to-date through July 5, State of the Union has increased its audience by double digits among total viewers and the demo compared to the same time a year ago. Given that 2008 was CNN’s best year on record, State of the Union’s 13% growth among total viewers and 10% growth among 25-54 over last year, speaks to the strong success of the new program, its format and John King’s skillful reporting.

- State of the Union was ahead of the curve on the health care debate. In the recent months, the program has consistently broken news on Congress and the cost of health care while having exclusive newsworthy guests such as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, White House Budget Director Peter Orzag, as well as Sens. Susan Collins, Ben Nelson, and Dianne Feinstein.

- The news made on State of the Union dominates the stories found in national and local newspapers on Monday mornings. While State of the Union is still the newest show in the Sunday morning zeitgeist, it generally surpasses the other Sunday talk shows in newspaper clippings.

- Producers disseminate a weekly State of the Union Crib Sheet, which includes the best moments from all the Sunday talk shows with insight and analysis from King. Subscribe by choosing the "Political Ticker - State of the Union Sunday Edition” at http://www.cnn.com/profile/

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CNN Presents Latino in America Anchored by Soledad O’Brien

CNN Press Release - New “…in America” Documentary Series Debuts on CNN and CNN en Español on Oct. 21& 22

CNN will extend its acclaimed “…in America” series of documentaries with a two-night, four-hour event, Latino in America, this October. Reported by anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien, the ambitious documentary initiative examines the growing diversity of America, revealing insight into a changing nation on the eve of the U.S. census that is expected to officially confirm that Latino Americans are the largest minority group within the country.

Two, two-hour documentaries will air at 8p.m. and 11p.m. ET and PT and simulcast in English on CNN/U.S. and in Spanish on CNN en Español on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22; CNN International will also broadcast the series (date and time to be announced). Latino in America was filmed in high definition. “As the face of America changes profoundly, CNN continues to demonstrate that we are the only cable news network dedicated to delivering a diversity of opinions and coverage,” said Jon Klein, president CNN/U.S. “This landmark series will showcase dramatic personal stories from across the sweep of Latino-American society, and move the dialogue well beyond limited partisan discussions of immigration.”

Latino in America: Los Garcias – Wednesday, Oct. 21, 8 p.m. & 11 p.m. (two hours) ET/PT

“Garcia” is now one of the top ten most popular surnames in the country, a sign of the largest ethnic wave in America’s history. For the debut evening of CNN’s Latino in America, O’Brien interviews Garcias from all walks of life. They hail from a broad array of nations; some families are new arrivals to America – others have been Americans for many generations. Old, young, wealthy and poor, Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in America. O’Brien’s lens on the Garcias yields a window into American life that viewers will find both new and very familiar at the same time.

One Garcia viewers will meet is Cindy Garcia, a 17-year old high schooler living in Greater Los Angeles. Cindy has a close and loving family, but like many Latina teens she is also facing challenges beyond her years. Her mother, originally from Guatemala, speaks no English and depends upon Cindy for translation assistance for medical appointments and other personal business. Cindy is often asked to babysit for the children of her siblings, even taking them to school with her; and she struggles with the added burden of an unplanned pregnancy. Most of Cindy’s family and friends never graduated from high school, and an astounding 70 percent of her fellow students drop out before graduation, but Cindy tells O’Brien that she is determined to graduate. The first evening follows Cindy’s journey.

Throughout Night One in the series, viewers will also hear from several accomplished Latinos about the American experience of being Latinos including, comedian George Lopez, and actors Lupe Ontiveros, Jesse Garcia, Edward James Olmos and Eva Longoria Parker.

Latino in America: Chasing the Dream – Thursday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m. & 11 p.m. (two hours) ET/PT

The second documentary in the two-night series focuses on a journey as old as the nation – the pursuit of the American Dream. O’Brien interviews Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who fled communist Cuba at age 15. Martinez recalls his own American Dream journey – from his first humble nights on the floor of a welcoming Catholic church in Miami, learning English and achieving undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida, becoming a U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and finally becoming a U.S. Senator.

O’Brien also speaks with Carlos Robles. Since he is from Puerto Rico, he is an American citizen, but he has found transition to life in Florida a challenge so far. A police officer in Puerto Rico, Carlos’ dream is to become a sheriff in Orlando. But he struggles with English, and he is worried that his language skills may interfere with or delay his dream.

In Shenandoah, Pa., O’Brien discovers a dream denied. Luis Ramirez was killed by a group of white high school students – allegedly only because of his ethnicity. Ramirez was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, and his death and the ensuing trial have been a lightning rod for long-building tensions in the community over dwindling jobs, crime and a melding of cultures that has not always been seamless.

On the other end of the spectrum, Vanessa Rosas, also from Puerto Rico, has flourished. Fluent in Spanish and English, her young children are also bilingual and Rosas and her husband – both engineers – live an affluent life in Florida as Disney employees. Rosas and her husband observe traditional Puerto Rican customs and celebrations and have also adopted those of the mainland. They are perhaps a bridge to a nation growing in Latino diversity.

“Soledad will give viewers new insight into an American story that they may have thought that they understood. There is so much to learn about the changing landscape of America – and we’re delivering it just as the nation confirms its new demographics and all of the promise – and challenges that will come with that,” said Mark Nelson, vice president and senior executive producer, CNN Productions.

About CNN Productions
Latino in America is produced by CNN Productions, the most award-winning documentary unit in cable news. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recently announced that it will honor CNN Productions with the President’s Award at its ceremonies in September. Mark Nelson is the vice president and senior executive producer for the unit; Kathy Slobogin is managing editor for CNN Productions; Rose Arce and Catherine Mitchell are senior producers; Brian Rokus, Emily Probst, Kimberly Arp-Babbit, and Robert Howell are producers; Jody Gottlieb is the executive director for CNN Productions.

About CNN Worldwide
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.

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The Joy Behar Show to Premiere on HLN on September 28

CNN Press Release - “News and Views” Network Adds New Talk Show to Primetime Lineup

Veteran talk show host and comedian Joy Behar’s new HLN (formerly Headline News) talk show, The Joy Behar Show, will premiere on September 28, it was announced by Ken Jautz, EVP of CNN Worldwide, at today’s Television Critics’ Association event in Pasadena, CA. The one-hour talk show will air on HLN at 9 p.m. ET, seven days a week, as part of the network’s primetime slate of opinion-based programming. Behar will continue to serve as a co-host of the Emmy Award-winning talk show The View on ABC.

The Joy Behar Show will showcase Behar’s personal take on the day’s news, offering primetime viewers a full hour of Joy’s passionate point of view, sharp wit, and no-nonsense approach. The program will examine those provocative watercooler issues that Americans are talking about every day, with topics ranging from pop culture to politics and everything in between.

The Joy Behar Show is the latest addition to the HLN primetime lineup of opinion-driven programming. Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell leads the way at 7 p.m.; Nancy Grace offers television’s most compelling legal commentary at 8 p.m.; and Showbiz Tonight at 11 p.m. features analysis of the most provocative issues in entertainment. HLN is on track to deliver its highest-rated year in the network’s 27-year history in both total viewers and the key P25-54 demo, and has just posted the best Q2 and the best June to date

Joy Behar is among today’s leading talk show talents and an acclaimed star of the stage, small screen, and silver screen. Her previous television credits have included roles and guest appearances on networks including CNN, HLN, HBO, ABC, NBC, Comedy Central, and Bravo. For three years, Ms. Behar hosted her own WABC radio show, where she discussed politics with a deadly humorous bent. Behar has also written three best-selling books and remains a frequent comedy headliner. She has been honored with the Real Beauty Award from AWRT and Dove (2007), the Safe Horizon Champion Award (2001), the Gracie Allen Tribute Award from the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television (2000), and the New York City Public Advocate’s Special Advocate Award for her outstanding friendship to the Gay community (2000). Ms. Behar, along with her co-hosts on ABC’s The View (Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd and Elisabeth Hasselbeck), has received 12 consecutive Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Talk Show Host

Conway Cliff will serve as Executive Producer of The Joy Behar Show. Cliff has been a mainstay of CNN Worldwide for over 10 years in capacities ranging from program development to executive-producing. Most recently, he served as Executive Producer of Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell on HLN; under his leadership, the show has posted the highest 7 p.m. ratings in network history

HLN, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, informs and engages 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 during HLN Prime at night. The network delivers fast-paced, lively and compelling programming using the best resources of CNN Worldwide.

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Christiane Amanpour Reports Generation Islam

CNN Press Release - Two-hour Documentary Investigating the Battle for Muslim Hearts and Minds Debuts on August 13

This summer, CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will helm a new Amanpour Reports two-hour event documentary, Generation Islam, on the battle for the hearts and minds of the youth of the Muslim world. The documentary will debut on Thursday, August 13 at 8p.m. and 11p.m. ET and PT.


Additionally, Christiane Amanpour begins a new daily interview program, Amanpour, airing globally at 3p.m. ET on CNN International, with a weekly 60-minute edition airing on CNN/U.S. on Sundays at 2p.m. ET, beginning in September.

“CNN is one of the few remaining television networks still committed to delivering enterprise reporting, in-depth documentaries, and comprehensive news and analysis from around the world,” said Jon Klein, president CNN/U.S. “And in Christiane we’ve got the master of all those forms. As a war correspondent she redefined international reporting, while her documentaries have transfixed tens of millions of viewers around the world and earned the most prestigious awards in journalism.”

Fresh from her extraordinary reporting from inside Iran during the Iranian elections, Amanpour takes viewers to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Gaza for Generation Islam. The documentary premieres just one week prior to Afghanistan’s national elections, as the U.S. intensifies its war efforts in Afghanistan, and as the Obama Administration seeks to forge a new relationship with Muslim nations.


Viewers of the documentary will see and hear from young Muslims who are potentially vulnerable to manipulation by Muslim extremist groups. More than half of the people living in the crowded Gaza strip are under the age of 18, and nearly 45 percent of the population in Afghanistan is under the age of 14. Amanpour speaks to several Americans living and working in Afghanistan and Gaza, who are providing alternatives to young Muslims who are prime recruits for Muslim fundamentalists160;

With the story of one child and his family, Amanpour illustrates what’s at stake. Last year, as nearly one thousand Afghan civilians were accidentally killed by U.S. forces, the Taliban began in earnest to re-establish its influence among people crushed by poverty and war. Just one year ago, a starving twelve year-old Nassim appeared on the doorstep of an orphanage run by American Marnie Gustafson in Afghanistan. Nassim had survived beatings, slave labor and a harrowing month-long journey having been cast out of his home after his father took a new wife. Nassim’s 15-year-old brother Alahdad may have suffered an even worse fate. Alahdad was taken in by a fundamentalist madrasa near Herat, Afghanistan, a region considered Taliban country.

Viewers will also learn about Palestinian obstetrician gynecologist Izzeldin Abuelaish in Gaza, whose home was bombarded during the 2009 war between Israel and Hamas. His three daughters were killed by Israeli shells. Dr. Abuelaish invites Amanpour to meet some of the children in his family who survived. Despite his tragic loss, he continues to work for peace. Dr. Abuelaish has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Amanpour also meets 35 children at a Gaza pre-school, many of whom have lost their homes or a parent in the war with Israel. Teachers notice behavior problems from these youngsters that seem related to their exposure to war and violence160;

Dr. El-Sarraj, an expert in Muslim extremism, tells Amanpour that up to one third of the children surveyed there say that they want to be a martyr. “Palestinian boys, even at age five, feel like they need to defend their families and their society, becoming disheartened when they can’t,” says Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj is a psychiatrist and founder/president of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program and a commissioner of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights.

“President Obama and many others are concerned that the next generation of Muslims could be lost to religious extremists,” says Mark Nelson, vice president and senior executive producer, CNN Productions. “Viewers will see and learn about some Americans who are winning the battle against extremism.”

About CNN Productions
Generation Islam is produced by CNN Productions, the most award-winning documentary unit in cable network news. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recently announced that it will honor CNN Productions with the President’s Award at its ceremonies in September. Mark Nelson is the vice president and senior executive producer for CNN Productions; Kathy Slobogin is managing editor for CNN Productions. Andrew Tkach and Melissa Dunst are senior producers; Heather O’Neill and Jen Christensen are producers; Jody Gottlieb is the executive director for CNN Productions.

Christiane Amanpour has reported on crises from many of the world’s hotspots and war zones during 26 years at CNN. Her assignments also include exclusive interviews with world leaders on the human consequences of natural disasters and global politics. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the coveted Paul White Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association, four George Foster Peabody Awards, a Courage in Journalism Award and a number of Emmys and duPont awards. She is a member of the board of directors for the Committee to Protect Journalists and was named an honorary citizen by the City of Sarajevo for her “personal contribution to spreading the truth” during coverage of the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

About CNN Worldwide
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.

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Amanpour Sets the Agenda with New Show on CNN

CNN Press Release - Broadcast on CNN International Monday-Friday; CNN/U.S. on Sunday

CNN’s renowned chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will launch a new global interview program on Monday, September 21. ‘Amanpour’ will air live from New York weekdays on CNN International at 3 p.m. (ET) – peak of European primetime – and Sundays on CNN/U.S. at 2 p.m. (ET).

“I want this show to stir the global conscience. I have witnessed so much that it’s time to start making real sense of it all,” Amanpour said. “I learned to seek facts and to tell the truth no matter how difficult or unpopular, and to not accept a false moral equivalence when none exists. I want to provide a forum for others to do the same.”

After spending nearly 26 years reporting around the globe for the CNN, Amanpour will take on a new role as host of this half-hour weekday program. Combining Amanpour’s experience, sharp intelligence and extraordinary depth of knowledge, the new program will set the agenda for a new global conversation about the dramatic issues gripping the world. Each show will primarily focus on one topic – newsworthy and often provocative – and will feature guests who challenge and deconstruct conventional wisdom. ‘Amanpour’ will mobilize conversation, encourage debate and facilitate change through these thought-provoking interviews and analysis.

“Think of great international journalism and you think of Christiane Amanpour,” said Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director of CNN International. “Now, in this fragmented media world, Christiane’s powerful brand will serve as the hub for a global community of inquiring minds – people who are hungry for a more daring perspective and a fresh, thoughtful take on international stories.”

Amanpour’s body of work has earned nine News and Documentary Emmys, four George Foster Peabody Awards, two George Polk Awards, three duPont-Columbia Awards, the Courage in Journalism Award, an Edward R. Murrow award. an inaugural Television Academy Honor and many other major journalism awards. In 2007, Amanpour was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her “highly distinguished, innovative contribution” to the field of journalism.

Kathy O’Hearn, who has more than 30 years of experience producing for both broadcast and cable networks, is at the helm as the show’s executive producer. The award-winning journalist returns to CNN after working at ABC, where she served as the executive producer for ‘This Week With George Stephanopoulos’ for three years before moving over to the network’s coverage of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. While at CNN, O’Hearn was central to the network’s Emmy Award-winning coverage of 9/11 and coordinated the morning coverage in the ensuing months.

‘Amanpour’ comes amid major growth at both CNN International and in CNN’s international newsgathering resources. The repositioning of CNN International includes an ambitious programming schedule that is being bolstered by the launch of six new prime-time programs in 2009, including the Amanpour launch in September and culminating with the opening of the network’s new production center in Abu Dhabi in November.


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.

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Friday, July 24, 2009

Rick Loves NY!

Rick Sanchez is in for Campbell Brown tonight. Check out his behind-the-scenes of CNN's New York Bureau at the Time Warner Center:

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Monday, July 20, 2009

Fionnuala Sweeney reveals new CNN International show, "W1"

Check out this radio show featuring Fionnuala Sweeney, "The Monocle Summer Series". Fionnuala talks about a number of topics, including her new show launching in September, W1 or World 1. She says it features "all the news you need to know".

Download the radio show here. Thanks to dandylunaire who wrote in with this scoop!

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Friday, July 10, 2009

Anderson Cooper 360° with Exclusive Access to President Obama

CNN Press Release - As President Barack Obama makes a historic visit to Africa, CNN’s Anderson Cooper sits down with the President for an extensive interview and joins him exclusively as he visits Cape Coast Castle, Ghana, the site of an overcrowded dungeon where slaves were held before they were shipped west. Interview topics will include domestic and international issues as well as the President’s own close connection with Africa and the significance of his trip for African-Americans today. CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join Cooper from Haiti, where he will report on the slave trade that continues to thrive in that country. The interview will air on Monday, July 13th and Tuesday, July 14th. Anderson Cooper 360° airs weeknights at 10pm ET on CNN.

On Saturday, July 18th and Sunday, July 19th CNN will air a special titled President Obama’s African Journey, anchored by Cooper, which will explore the President’s personal history in Africa, and First Lady Michelle Obama’s African lineage and how her ancestors came to the United States. In addition, Cooper will lead a discussion with African-American leaders about the significance of the President’s trip. The weekend special will air at 8 and 11pm ET. The special will also air on CNN International.

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.

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CNN Plans Comprehensive Coverage of Sotomayor Hearings

CNN Press Release - CNN’s Wolf Blitzer will anchor special coverage of the confirmation hearings on Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to be associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court during the week of July 13. Beginning Monday at 10 a.m., CNN will provide comprehensive coverage during the opening statements as well as the days when Judge Sotomayor faces questioning from senators on Capitol Hill.

Blitzer will be joined by members of the Best Political Team on Television including senior political analyst Gloria Borger, senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, chief national correspondent John King, senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, and national political correspondent Jessica Yellin. Senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash and congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar will report live from Capitol Hill to provide updates and reaction from members of Congress. In addition, CNN contributor Alex Castellanos and guest contributor Maria Echaveste will provide analysis and commentary throughout the coverage.

CNN’s coverage will allow viewers to simultaneously observe a wide variety of incoming live video feeds, relevant file video, graphics and other visual story-telling tools. In addition, King will use the Magic Wall to report on Sotomayor’s relevant decisions, legal briefs and other documents from her years on the bench.

A special edition of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer will air at 4 p.m. on Monday, followed by regularly-scheduled programming of Lou Dobbs Tonight, Campbell Brown, Larry King Live and Anderson Cooper 360º, with a focus on the day’s happenings on Capitol Hill and a look ahead to the rest of the hearing.

Online, the Judge Sotomayor special report, located at www.CNN.com/Sotomayor, gives users access to an array of in-depth biographical information of the U.S. Supreme Court nominee, chronicling her life’s journey and career path. The special section features key case files from past rulings, sorted by topic so users can learn more about decisions she has made from the bench, as well as an interactive gallery of family snapshots that reveal her life in pictures.

When the confirmation hearings get underway, CNN.com will unveil a special series, which explores key aspects of Sotomayor’s life; from her roots in Puerto Rico to growing up in the Bronx, to entering the Ivy League and embarking on a career as prosecutor, to federal appellate judge and then becoming nominee to the highest court. Each weekday, CNN.com will publish a new story as well as special commentaries and video packages focused on one of these different parts of her life.

CNN.com Live, the Internet’s only live multi-stream video news service, also will stream the Sotomayor confirmation hearings live in their entirety.

CNN en Español will offer broad coverage of the Sotomayor hearings beginning on Thursday, July 9, with a preview special on Directo desde EE.UU. at 7:00 p.m. anchored by Patricia Janiot. This 30-minute special program, live from Washington, will review Sotomayor’s roots, her professional achievements and the facts that have made her a controversial candidate for the Court. On Sunday, July 12, at 1:30 p.m., correspondent Juan Carlos López will talk with a panel of experts to take a look at Sotomayor’s federal case rulings for clues on what judicial philosophy she may take to the highest court. Then, on Monday, July 13, the network will offer live coverage of the hearings with analysts weighing in throughout the day.

CNN International will also cover the live hearings and provide analysis from a global perspective.

CNN Radio will provide affiliates with special reports at the bottom of the hour beginning at 9:30 a.m. and running through the length of the hearing each day. There will be a one minute wrap-up at the end of the day, and this will also run in CNN Radio network newscasts. CNN Radio Capitol Hill correspondent Lisa Desjardins will be covering and providing affiliate live shots from Capitol Hill.

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.

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Tuesday, July 07, 2009

CNN WILL BROADCAST MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL COVERAGE IN TIMES SQUARE

CNN Press Release - WHAT: CNN today announced it will broadcast its special Michael Jackson memorial coverage on a video display in Times Square. Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Don Lemon and Soledad O’Brien will host coverage live from Los Angeles, with Campbell Brown and Roland Martin anchoring live from New York, starting at 12:00 p.m. (ET).

Attendees will be able to view CNN’s closed-captioned coverage on Clear Channel Spectacolor's state-of-the-art digital display, Spectacolor HD, located at 1501 Broadway (Broadway and 47th).

WHEN: Tuesday, July 7, 12-4 pm ET.

WHERE: Duffy Square, at the intersection of Broadway between 46 & 47th Streets.

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.

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Monday, July 06, 2009

CNN Coverage Plans for Michael Jackson’s Memorial

CNN will broadcast Michael Jackson’s memorial service live on Tuesday, July 7, 2009, on CNN International, CNN/U.S. and CNN.com. Web users will also be able to share thoughts with others on Facebook while viewing the events on the CNN.com live video player if they choose.

Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Don Lemon and Soledad O’Brien will host coverage live from Los Angeles, with Campbell Brown and Roland Martin anchoring live from New York, starting at 12:00 PM ET on CNN International and CNN/U.S. CNN’s international bureaus will provide coverage of memorial events happening around the world.

Online at www.CNN.com/MichaelJackson, CNN.com will provide special coverage of Jackson’s memorial service and all related events in their entirety through a wide variety of elements, including live streaming and on-demand video, in-depth articles, photo galleries, and special interactives. In addition, CNN.com producers and correspondents will blog live from Los Angeles throughout the day.

CNN.com is once again utilizing Facebook Connect granting Internet users across the globe the ability to watch the memorial service live while communicating with their Friends on Facebook – and other Jackson fans around the world – without leaving the CNN.com Live video player. CNN.com Live begins live coverage starting on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 8:30 AM ET with a special midnight show before the complete live coverage of the memorial service begins on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 1 PM ET Additionally, CNN.com will offer replays of the entire memorial service at 4 PM ET and 7 PM ET. iReport.com, the network’s user-generated online news community, continues to invite contributors to share their thoughts and memories of Michael Jackson, as well as submit and share their videos and photos.

CNN will provide live coverage to it radio affiliates and television affiliates worldwide.

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Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Jim Bittermann ‘Chevalier’ of the National Order of the Legion of Honor

CNN Press Release - Last night, Tuesday June 30 Jim Bittermann received the highest decoration in France and was made ‘Chevalier’ of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, in a special ceremony presided over by the Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

Ask CNN Senior European Correspondent Jim Bittermann what he does for a living, and he'll answer “For the past 30 years, I’ve been explaining France and the French to the rest of the world.”

Paris based correspondent, American-Irish, Jim Bittermann covers all French news and events for CNN International. At CNN with its round-the-clock coverage, Bittermann quickly became the face and voice for whatever was happening in France and in the Francophone world and for the past 10 years, he has covered events as diverse as the death of Princess Diana and the last days of Yassir Arafat, the French presidential elections, the EU referendum, the World Cup championship and recently the Air France Tragedy and the last visit of President Obama in France.

Apart from his frequent appearances on CNN and in CNN.com, Bittermann has in recent years also become a familiar personality as lecturer and panel moderator at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and a featured speaker at journalism events such as Global Fusion 2004 in London, the International Diplomacy Institute in Geneva. He has made numerous visits to schools and universities in the United States to explain his work and what life is like in France. He is also co-author of the book Live from the Trenches: the Changing Role of the Television Correspondent which is still read in American journalism schools. In 1999 Bittermann became a professor himself at The American University of Paris and has taught courses in Broadcast News Writing and Production, Politics and Media, and Paris Documentaries.

Jim is one of the few journalists to receive the Honor, and joins a distinguished list of non-French recipients from many walks of life including Dwight D Eisenhower, Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, Rudolf Nureyev, Elie Wiesel, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and General Norman Schwarzkopf.
In the field of American television journalism, he joins Pierre Salinger from ABC, who received his honor in 1978. In this year’s Honor’s list, he is one of only two Americans, and of 13 foreigners, to be so honoured.

Jim Walton’s Note to Staff
July 1, 2009

Last night, CNN’s Jim Bittermann was made a Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest recognition of merit, in a ceremony presided over by the French Foreign Minister at the Foreign Ministry in Paris.

Jim was recognized for his nearly 30 years of reporting from France, as well as for his teaching and volunteer service within the French media industry.

Founded in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte to recognize outstanding accomplishment, the Legion of Honour is awarded annually to 3,500 French men and women and a very few non-nationals—13 this year, only two of them Americans. Jim joins the distinguished company of non-French recipients including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Charles Chaplin, Orson Welles and Norman Schwarzkopf.

We’re all proud of this unique tribute to our colleague.

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