Tag: CBS News

Al Jazeera elevates Al Anstey as CEO of Al Jazeera America

MUMBAI: Al Jazeera Media Network has appointed Al Anstey as CEO of Al Jazeera America with immediate effect.

Anstey replaces interim CEO Ehab Alshihabi, who was responsible for launching Al Jazeera America in 2013. He joined Al Jazeera in 2005 and has held a range of leadership positions with the organization, most recently serving as managing director of Al Jazeera English (AJE) since 2010.

Previously Anstey was director of news for AJE, in charge of the news division and the editorial content. He was a key member of the start-up team of AJE that designed the editorial vision, recruited editorial staff, and set up its worldwide bureau network.

Under Anstey’s leadership the channel is now accessible to over 250 million households across the globe in over 130 countries.

Anstey said, “I’m delighted to be leading Al Jazeera America into the next stage of its development. The United States is a remarkable country, with amazing people across the nation who are looking for in-depth, trusted, and inspiring stories. I’m also very proud to be able to lead a fantastic team at Al Jazeera America who are dedicated to the highest quality storytelling. I am committed to engaging the team and uplifting our collective ambitions, as a much needed channel for American audiences.”

Al Jazeera America Board of Directors chairman Mostefa Souag added, “As Al Jazeera America moves forward into this new stage of its development, I am confident Al’s leadership will transform the channel’s ability to lead in the US marketplace. His demonstrated success leading Al Jazeera English and his passion for the Al Jazeera brand positions him with the unique ability to undertake the strategic changes needed for the success of the channel. I am extremely pleased at Al’s appointment.”

Anstey has lived and worked in Asia, America, Europe and the Middle East. He started his career as a producer at CBS News, later joining the start-up of Reuters GMTV in the UK, before moving to the start-up of Associated Press Television News, based in New Delhi and Sydney, later taking on the position of Asia Editor for APTN with responsibility for bureaus and coverage across Asia.

Prior to joining Al Jazeera in 2005 he was the head of foreign news at ITN in the UK after many years as their senior foreign editor and spent two years in Washington DC as bureau chief of ITN’s operations in the US.

May 7, 2015
CBS News extends David Rhodes’ contract through 2019

MUMBAI: CBS has inked a new contract with CBS News president and CEO David Rhodes that extends his employment through February 2019. Rhodes has been president of CBS News since 2011.

CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves said, “CBS News is experiencing division-wide growth. David’s exceptional news judgment and competitive acumen has had a great impact so far, and we look forward to continued growth on all our news broadcasts as we move forward.”

Rhodes is responsible for CBS News broadcasts and its global newsgathering. His emphasis on hard news and original reporting is evident across all platforms, including television, CBS News Radio and CBSNews.com. He also spearheaded the launch of CBSN, a joint effort between CBS News and CBS Interactive to create the first digital streaming news network.

Rhodes was a catalyst behind the creation and launch of the CBS This Morning program, including the development of a new studio and newsroom at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. He also helped to expand Face The Nation with Bob Schieffer to a full hour as the broadcast became the #1 Sunday public affairs show.

Before joining CBS News, Rhodes held senior roles at Bloomberg and Fox News. At Bloomberg, he was head of US Television, overseeing all development, editorial, newsgathering, and programming. He also relaunched the financial news service’s flagship cable channel in 2009 and made important changes in the network’s talent and programming.

Rhodes started his career in 1996 as a production assistant at the newly launched Fox News Channel, where he eventually became vice president of News. While there, he managed coverage of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, three presidential elections, and natural weather disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina. He also was the assignment manager on the Fox News desk the morning of 11 September, 2001.

Moonves added, “I’m delighted that CBS News will remain under the leadership of one of the most accomplished young executives in the television news industry for many years to come.”

March 24, 2015
CBS News reporter sexually assaulted in Egypt

MUMBAI: CBS News correspondent Lara Logan was sexually assaulted and beaten by a mob in Egypt‘s Tahrir Square late on Friday.

Logan was flown back to the United States next morning. She is now recuperating in a hospital.

The assault took place whilst she was surveying the anti-Mubarak mood amidst a celebrating crowd after the president had stepped down for a “60 Minutes” story.

CBS said, “In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers.”

Logan had been outspoken about the Mubarak regime‘s efforts to intimidate foreign journalists. She was sent back after she was accused of being an Israeli spy, but came back to Cairo not long before Mubarak fled his office.

She has a long history of working in disturbed areas.

Logan made her name as a war correspondent for Britain‘s GMTV at the beginning of the Afghanistan war in 2001 and later reported on the war in Iraq. She joined CBS News in 2002.

According to the Committee to Protect Foreign Journalists, a watchdog group in which Logan serves as a board member, nearly 140 reporters have been wounded or killed while covering the revolution of Egypt since 30 January.


February 16, 2011
Zee News signs licencing, distribution deal with BBC Worldwide

MUMBAI: Zee News has inked a marketing, licencing and distribution deal with BBC Worldwide. BBC Worldwide will market, licence and distribute Zee News’ archive clip footage worldwide on BBC Motion Gallery website.

As per the deal, BBC will source news and current affairs content only from Zee News in India for its Motion Gallery website.

Zee News CEO Barun Das said, “Worldwide, Zee News is viewed as a responsible and serious news channel. It’s little wonder that Zee News Limited is the only news and current affairs media company in India from whom BBC will source content for its prestigious Motion Gallery website.”

Following this, Zee News will join the league of some of world’s leading broadcasters like BBC, CBS News, NHK Japan, CCTV China and ABC Australia in providing content to BBC Motion Gallery which houses video clips that have been selected from the archives of these broadcasters worldwide.

February 8, 2008
‘Truthiness’, ‘Wikiality’ are top TV buzzwords of 2006

MUMBAI: Does American television influences English language? A question which has an answer as yes, to a great extent. “Truthiness” from the US television show Colbert Report was named the Top Tele Word of 2006 in the Global Language Monitor’s annual survey of words. This survey zeroes in on the words from American television that influence English language.

Another word, “Wikiality” from the same show followed “Truthiness”. And closely following these words were, “Katrina”, referring to the stories on television about the devastating destruction caused by the hurricane. “Katie” is another word in reference to US news anchor Katie Couric’s move into the top seat at CBS News, and Dr. McDreamy from ABC’s show Grey’s Anatomy.

Rounding out the top ten were “Bush’s War’, heard often on the news, “Man of the Hours” from the television show 24’s lead Keifer Sutherland, “Tourette’s”, from I have Tourette’s but Tourette’s doesn’t have me, “Dysfunctional” from another television show The Office. This year’s Bonus Phrase is ‘You’re going to Hollywood!’ from Simon Cowell’s American Idol.

Global Language Monitor president Paul JJ Payack says, “Television, once again, has helped to define our culture and its impact upon spoken English is profound. Some of these buzzwords will quickly pass, while others will be embedded in the language for years to come.

“Though ‘truthiness’ in some form has existed in the language for centuries, it could not have been revived in more relevant times than the early 21st century; while ‘Wikiality’ can be observed even today, where Pluto has been voted out of the Solar System by a convention of Astronomers.”

The Global Language Monitor analyses and catalogues the latest trends in word usage, their choices, and their impact on various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.

August 28, 2006
Katie Couric to be anchor & managing editor of CBS News

MUMBAI: CBS Corporation President and CEO Leslie Moonves and CBS News and Sports president Sean McManus announced that one of broadcasting’s most respected and popular journalists, Katie Couric is joining CBS News.

With the appointment, Couric becomes the first female solo anchor of a network evening news broadcast.
As part of the multi-year agreement, Couric will become anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric beginning in September. Couric will also contribute to 60 Minutes and will anchor CBS News primetime specials as well, states an official release.

Couric said, “It has been a great privilege to be one of the caretakers of a television institution like the ‘Today’ show for 15 years. Joining CBS is a unique opportunity that came at the right time for me. I’m thrilled to become part of the rich tradition of CBS News and look forward to working with the many extraordinarily talented people there.”

Said Moonves. “With this move, our News Division takes yet another giant leap forward. Katie is simply one of the best in the business and represents a tremendous addition to CBS News, which continues to grow and improve every day under Sean’s leadership. Seasoned broadcasters who are at once respected, charismatic and known throughout this country and beyond are increasingly important in this fragmented media landscape. I’m proud to have a talent like Katie who personifies this rare combination of qualities, and look forward to the many contributions that she will make not only to our developing evening news broadcast, but to our entire news operation.”

Couric joined NBC News in 1989 as deputy Pentagon reporter. She began work on Today in June 1990 as its first national correspondent, which included two stints covering the Gulf War. Couric served as substitute co-anchor from February 1991 until taking over the job permanently in April 1991. She also was a contributing anchor for Dateline NBC.

Couric has anchored many major breaking news events over the past 15 years, including the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center; the Columbine tragedy in Colorado; six Olympic Games, including the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing; the funeral of Princess Diana; the Oklahoma City bombing; the Timothy McVeigh execution; the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings; and the end of the millennium coverage, which she co-anchored with Tom Brokaw.

She has interviewed an extraordinarily diverse collection of newsmakers, from presidents and prime ministers to captains of industry and cultural icons and a myriad of authors, politicians and newsmakers.

“This is an enormously proud day for all of us at CBS News. Katie joining our team signifies not only her commitment to doing first-rate journalism, but our strong commitment to producing the highest quality work done by the best reporters, producers and writers in television news. She is a key ingredient as we work towards our goal of making CBS News the number one news organization in America. This organization was built on quality and integrity, and Katie and her CBS News colleagues will continue to carry that legacy into the 21st century” said McManus.

Couric is the recipient of a George Foster Peabody Award for her March 2000 series on colon cancer. She also has won six Emmy Awards, the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award, a National Headliner Award, an Associated Press Award, a Matrix Award, two American Women in Radio and Television Gracie Awards, the Harvard University School of Public Health’s Julius B. Richmond Award and UNICEF’s Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award.

Couric’s broadcast journalism career began as a desk assistant at ABC News in Washington, D.C. (1979). She worked for CNN (1980-84) as an assignment editor, associate producer, producer and, ultimately, political correspondent. Couric was a general assignment reporter for WTVJ Miami (1984-86) and for WRC-TV Washington, D.C. (1987-89), adds the release.

April 5, 2006