Tag: Anderson Cooper

  • CNN+  to accelerate launch in US

    CNN+ to accelerate launch in US

    Mumbai: This one is for those news channel executives and owners in India who don’t seem to have the confidence to launch their own streaming services. Cable TV news pioneer CNN – part of the WarnerMedia (now WarnerBros.Discovery) group, is working on its OTT service called – what else do you expect –CNN+, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

    The platform is likely to be subscription driven and launch plans are being speeded up to allow it to debut much before the merger between CNN owner Warner Media and Discovery gets completed and the combined media behemoth resurfaces as Warner Bros.Discovery.

    CNN+ has signed up deals with its prime anchors led by Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon to create new programmes – aside from the ones they have on the cable TV news service – , offering them higher packages, and possibly even bonuses related to subscriber growth.

    Rivals such as Fox News got into the streaming fray 18 months ago as Fox Nation, offering differentiated programming than what is served on the network. Subscription numbers are just in the hundreds of thousands, but the new streamer has helped the Murdoch owned news service stay relevant to a new generation of digital first customers.

    The Comcast owned streamer Peacock, also has given space to programmes from sister news services MSNBC and CNBC, as has the Viacom owned Paramount+ which has news shows such as 60 minutes  from its CBS News operation.

    Will Indian news channel leaders take a cue from the bustle of activity taking place in the US and also launch their own streaming services? So far they have been happy have a meek presence with their online web site avatars or have their linear channels streamed on other OTTs such as Disney+Hotstar or Zee5. It’s over to the news channel managements.

  • CNN announces finalists for ‘CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute’

    MUMBAI: US news broadcaster CNN has announced the names of 18 finalists for CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. This marks the culmination of a five-month audience nomination process through which ordinary people will be recognised for accomplishing extraordinary things.

    Hosted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour, “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute will air live globally on CNN/US, CNN International and CNN en Espanol on 6 December.

    In its first year of the CNN Heroes initiative, CNN received more than 7,000 nominations from viewers in 80 countries, nominating people from more than 90 countries.

    Honorees will be announced at the gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, which will include performances from Grammy Award winners Mary J. Blige and Sheryl Crow and a duet by Grammy Award winner Norah Jones and acclaimed performer-producer Wyclef Jean. Presenters will include Tyra Banks, Glenn Close, Harry Connick, Jr., Rosario Dawson, LL Cool J, Kyra Sedgwick and Jimmy Smits.

    CNN Worldwide president Jim Walton says, “We are honoured to shine the spotlight on some of the world’s lesser known heroes with the help of an esteemed slate of performers and presenters. While other awards programmes venerate those who are already celebrated, we are recognising the unheralded, the ones who accomplish great things without the benefit of recognition.”

    From May 1 through September, CNN Worldwide has featured everyday heroes across its television networks, digital services and at www.CNN.com/Heroes, encouraging viewers to nominate local heroes they deem deserving of recognition as a CNN Hero. The finalists in each of the six categories include:

    * Medical Marvel – American Peter Kithene of Seattle, who founded a clinic in his native Kenya that has provided services to more than 18,000 patients. Las Vegas’ Ann McGee of Las Vegas, who started a transportation program to provide free medical flights for families with gravely ill children. India’s S.
    Ramakrishnan is a quadriplegic man who runs one of India’s largest centers for the disabled, serving people from 330 surrounding villages.

    * Young Wonder – Canadian Kayla Cornale developed a musical system to improve communications with autistic people. Dallas Jessup produced a video and an online programme designed to teach young women and girls how to escape an attacker. Josh Miller has established a student-run nonprofit group dedicated to motivating high school students of all backgrounds to succeed in school and life.

    Fighting For Justice – Pablo Fajardo seeks to force one of the world’s largest oil corporations to pay more than $6 billion to clean up toxic waste in the Amazon rain forest. Rangina Hamidi founded a company that enables women in her native Afghanistan to make money from their intricate embroidery skills. Lynwood Hughes started a nonprofit group to help US veterans secure their disability benefits.

  • CNN Intl plans multi-platform coverage for US mid-term elections

    CNN Intl plans multi-platform coverage for US mid-term elections

    MUMBAI: With less than a month before the US mid-term elections are held CNN International rolls out America Votes 2006 across its global television, internet, broadband and wireless services.

    The channel notes that the stakes could not be higher with US Republicans battling to keep both houses of Congress and Democrats hoping public discontent with the War in Iraq will give them an advantage. CNN’s team of political correspondents will bring coverage to more than 198 million television households, millions of internet users via CNN.com and via broadband on CNN Pipeline. Additionally, CNN’s coverage will be available on wireless services around the world.

    CNN International VP Rena Golden says, “No other broadcaster can bring a global audience the depth of coverage, the analytical background or quick breaking news like CNN International. Our audiences, whether on television, the internet or wireless, deserve the very best and our award-winning team provides it.”

    The channel’s coverage culminates on 8 November with live Election Night with programming from New York featuring Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn and Lou Dobbs who will all provide wall-to-wall news and analysis in CNN’s new state-of-the-art studios at the Time Warner Center.

    CNN correspondents and affiliates from around the world will also offer up-to-the-minute reports and analysis on how the election results impact the world. Leading up to the election and on Election Night, coverage from the U.S. will be led by senior political correspondent Candy Crowley; chief national correspondent John King; senior national correspondent John Roberts; senior political analysts Bill Schneider and Jeff Greenfield; congressional correspondents Dana Bash and Andrea Koppel; White House correspondents Ed Henry, Suzanne Malveaux and Elaine Quijano.

    As the campaign moves into its final stages, CNN International will air a series called Broken Government. These programmes will be featured on Inisght with Jonathan Mann.

    · To Do Nothing Congress – CNN White House correspondent Eds Henry – a veteran of a decade covering Capitol Hill – portrays the paralysis brought on by partisanship and obsession over raising money for elections. It airs on 31 October 2006 at 9:30 am and 3:30 pm.

    · Power Play – Chief national correspondent John King returns to his former beat, the White House, to report on the Bush administration’s controversial efforts to wrest back executive authority stripped away by Congress in the years following Vietnam and Watergate. This airs on 1 November at 9:30 am and 3:30 pm and on 4 November at 8:30 pm.

    · Two Left Feet – Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley will examine why Democratic candidates seem to have such a hard time getting elected and are often out-manoeuvred by Republican opponents who appear to be better organized and faster on their feet. It airs on 4 November at 12:30 pm.

    · Where the Right Went Wrong – Senior political analyst Jeff Greenfield looks at those most deeply committed to the conservative cause and their enragement over out-of-control government spending, political pork, nation-building and the president’s more lenient approach to immigration. This airs on 3 November at 9:30 am and 3:30 pm and on 5 November at 12: 30 pm.

    In addition extended versions of Your World Today will provide in-depth analysis on the day’s leading political stories in the week leading up to Election Night. Real-time results will be available on CNN.com and on CNN Pipeline, the site’s live broadband video news service. Additionally, CNN.com’s special election section can be found at www.CNN.com/elections and provides a complete look at the political arena, featuring on-going political news coverage with multimedia packages, galleries, interactive maps, user feedback, expert analysis, quizzes, streamed video and podcasts.

    CNN’s coverage of the US mid-term elections will also feature heavily on wireless services around the world. CNN’s wireless election coverage is available in live video streaming, email alerts and updates, on-demand video and internet access.