ITV

Tag: CNN

  • CNN’s new docu screams Bloody Murder

    CNN’s new docu screams Bloody Murder

    MUMBAI: From ethnic slaughters in Armenia to the Holocaust and systematic terror and violence in Cambodia, Rwanda, Iraq and Darfur, CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour reports on the recurring nightmare of genocide and the largely unknown struggles of the heroes who witnessed evil – and “screamed bloody murder” for the international community to stop it.

    As the 60th anniversary of the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide approaches, a new two-hour documentary, CNN Presents: Scream Bloody Murder will air on 5 December at 7:an, 3:30 pm, 10:30 pm on 6 December at 5:30 pm and on 7 December at 7:30 am and at 11:30 am.

    Amanpour, who just celebrated her 25th year at CNN, has reported on most crises and human events from around the globe, including events in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans. She has interviewed world leaders at the key moments of history as they happened and leverages this direct experience and depth of knowledge in Scream Bloody Murder. Her first-hand insights provide context to the key decisions before and during the heinous events that continue to shock the world.

    Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jew and lawyer, narrowly escaped the Holocaust, but his parents and 40 other members of his family perished in the slaughter. In the 1940s, Lemkin coined the term “genocide” and lobbied the then-fledgling UN for an international convention compelling nations to prevent and stop genocide.

    CNN Productions VP, senior executive producer Mark Nelson says, “Lemkin hoped that the international community would ensure that genocide never happened again, but other crusaders against genocide met the same indifference and resistance Lemkin encountered. This film is about their stories – and what we can learn from them.”

    Just one generation later, Father François Ponchaud, a Catholic missionary working in Cambodia, tried to alert the world to the torture and mass executions following the rise of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. Ponchaud published articles, a book, and even spoke before the U.N. to urge action to stop the killing.

    “No one believed us,” Ponchaud tells Amanpour in the documentary. In fewer than four years, the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror claimed the lives of nearly two million men, women and children – one fourth of Cambodia’s population.
    “No one defends human rights,” the priest says in the documentary. “Governments are cold beasts looking out for their own interests.”

    Amanpour also reports on what many consider to be the first genocide of the 21st century: Darfur. Eric Reeves, a Smith College professor and one of the founders of the grassroots activism to end genocide in Darfur says, “There was no lack of information, there was no lack of understanding, there was a lack of will to stop genocide – year after year after year.”

  • CNN to launch health show ‘Vital Signs’

    CNN to launch health show ‘Vital Signs’

    MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN’s chief medical correspondent and practicing neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a look at the world of medicine in Vital Signs.

    This is a new monthly, half-hour programme on CNN International. From China to Peru and Jerusalem to Japan, Dr. Gupta travels the globe looking for important medical breakthroughs, secrets to aging well, and clues that might solve medical mysteries.

    CNN International senior VP Katherine Green says, “We are excited about this new program and the wealth of knowledge that Dr. Gupta can bring to our viewers regarding the field of medicine and its significance around the world”.

    The first episode which airs on 27 November at 7:30 pm with repeats on 29 November at 1:30 pm and on 30 November at 9:30 am, 2 pm and at 8 pm looks at tuberculosis, one of the world’s most easily transmittable diseases. Dr. Gupta reports from Lima, Peru, a place that has become a surprising success story in the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis.

    Tokyo correspondent Kyung Lah also reports from Okinawa on a very active aging population in their ‘90s and 100’s defying the physical odds of old age. While the 100–year old crowd is healthy, their children are dying younger and at the highest rate anywhere in Japan. Vital Signs goes to find out just why this is.

    Gupta says, “I’m really looking forward to talking to our global viewers about some of the major global health issues that impact us all in our rapidly shrinking world — as well as hearing from viewers about what concerns them most through our interactive Q&A opportunities via CNN.com and NNmobile”.

    Regular segments in the programme that feature Dr. Gupta include ‘Doc Talk’, where he shares the buzz in the medical community; ‘Medical Myth Busters’, where he identifies medical myths that some doctors believe to be true; and ‘On the Frontlines’, where he and a number of CNN contributors report from the field on a specific issue.

  • CNN to address local issues in India Means Business

    CNN to address local issues in India Means Business

    MUMBAI: CNN is addressing Indians with local content programming in the week-long show India Means Business that will put the economic fortunes firmly in the spotlight.

    Hosted by CNN’s World Business Today anchor Andrew Stevens live from Mumbai, the show will be from 24 to 28 November.

    CNN is using its India-based team of correspondents to bring reports from around the country. Reports from international destinations including New York, London and Beijing will round up the global focus on India.

    India Means Business will cover a wide rage of topics including India’s retail boom; how the highs and lows of the property market impacts the country’s economy; the fast-paced media industry, the rise of entrepreneurs and how cricket has become a money spinner. The vagaries of the stock exchange and the impetus on infrastructure will also be discussed and analysed. The week further takes a close look at Indian government’s initiatives to upgrade the country’s famously creaky infrastructure and political system to help keep up the pace of growth in an economy second only to China in its dynamism.

    CNN Delhi bureau chief Phillip Turner said, “We are using our three newsgathering centres in India, live programming from around Mumbai and extensive international resources to reveal what drives this unique and diverse economy. The week is perfectly timed to focus on India’s position amidst global economic turmoil as well as spotlight India’s unique business culture”

    India Means Business is co-sponsored by Kirloskar Brothers Ltd, Aditya Birla Group and the Tea Board of India.

  • CNN to look at India’s economy in a week-long special

    CNN to look at India’s economy in a week-long special

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster CNN has announced that it will present all shades of the country’s vibrant economy in a dedicated week-long India Programming that airs from 24 -28 November.

    With the world mired in an ongoing financial crisis, attention is turning more than ever towards India’s robust economic growth. CNN International brings its global viewers a week of in-depth live programming, India Means Business, that puts the country’s economic fortunes firmly in the spotlight.

    Leveraging its three-city strong newsgathering operation in India, combined with CNN’s Asia-Pacific newsgathering resources, India Means Business will examine how the world’s largest democracy is coming of age as a business powerhouse. CNN goes inside the lives and businesses of India’s brightest and most successful entrepreneurs to find out and examine what is driving heir success and failures.

    India Means Business is hosted by CNN’s ‘World Business Today’ anchor Andrew Stevens live from India’s financial capital, Mumbai, while CNN is using its India-based team of correspondents to bring reports from around the country; Sara Sidner in Delhi, Mallika Kapur in Mumbai and Liz Neisloss in Chennai. Reports from international destinations including New York, London and Beijing round up the global focus on India.

    CNN’s New Delhi bureau chief Phillip Turner said, “The title of our week India Means Business says it all. We are using our three newsgathering centres in India, live programming from around Mumbai and extensive international resources to reveal what drives this unique and diverse economy. The week is perfectly timed to focus on India’s position amidst global economic turmoil as well as spotlight India’s unique business culture.”

    ‘India Means Business covers a wide rage of topics including India’s retail boom; how the highs and lows of the property market impacts the country’s economy; the fast-paced media industry, the rise of entrepreneurs and how cricket has become a money spinner. The vagaries of the stock exchange and the impetus on infrastructure will also be discussed and analyzed. The week further takes a close look at Indian government’s initiatives to upgrade the country’s famously creaky infrastructure and political system to help keep up the pace of growth in an economy second only to China in its dynamism.

    CNN’s global audience in more than 200 countries and territories will have anytime access to ‘India Means Business’ through the dedicated microsite www.cnn.com/india that goes live November 14. The site features video of packages and reports, blogs from CNN’s ‘India Means Business’ reporting team and in-depth stories from Time, CNNMoney and Fortune. The site will also provide exclusive content ranging from ‘India’s changing trade relationship’ to ‘India’s role as a growing automotive player’, by former CNN journalist and specialist on Indian economy, Geoff Hiscock.

    The CNN online team also look at the recession-proof business of Mumbai’s famous ‘Dabbawalas’ that has gone online for booking lunches and hears from a unique naked business guru who is CEO of a Chennai fashion company.

    Making this special week interactive, CNN’s viewers from around the world will be invited to submit their stories, photographs and videos capturing their impressions on why ‘India Means Business’ through CNN’s innovative i-Report initiative.

    India Means Business is co-sponsored by Kirloskar Brothers Ltd, Aditya Birla Group and the Tea Board of India.

  • CNN is top network with 13.3 mn viewers on US election day

    CNN is top network with 13.3 mn viewers on US election day

    MUMBAI: The Obama smile spread to CNN which emerged as the most-watched network on the election day. CNN garnered 13.3 million viewers to take the top spot that day, according to Nielsen Online Custom Analysis data, P2+ Home/Work Panel.

    ABC had a total viewership of 12.5 million, followed by NBC (11.9 million), Telemundo (8.5 million), FNC (8.1 million), CBS (7.5 million), MSBNC (6.4 million) and Fox (4.7 million).

    CNN topped the cable news competition with an average of 12.3 million total viewers tuning in during primetime, a 36 per cent advantage over FNC’s 9 million and an impressive 109 per cent lead over MSNBC’s 5.9 million.

    Among adults 25-54, CNN was also number 1 with 5.8 million, a 48 per cent advantage over FNC’s 3.9 million and 119 per cent lead over MSNBC’s 2.7 million demo viewers. Among younger viewers 18-34, CNN was also first with 3.4 million. FNC stood second with 1.8 million while MSNBC was third with 1.4 million.

    CNN had the largest gains in prime time compared to 2004 in 25-54, up 102 per cent, while FNC only increased 4 per cent and MSNBC was up 87 per cent. (This was also reflected in total day where CNN grew the most among 25-54, up 97 per cent and MSNBC was up 94 per cent, while FNC declined 16 per cent).

    CNN.com delivered the largest daily audience in its history with 30 million unique visitors on Election Day, more than doubling the previous record of 13.4 million generated on Super Tuesday of this year.

    CNN.com Live, the Internet’s only multi-stream, live video news service, pocketed 5.3 million live streams on election day. The number of live video streams served by CNN.com on election day is nearly triple that of its previous daily streaming record, which was set on 1 September, 2008 – the first day of the RNC and the day Hurricane Gustav made landfall. CNN.com also served an additional 6.8 million on-demand video streams on 4 November.

  • CNN’s global audience to ‘Debate the Debate’ on presidential election

    CNN’s global audience to ‘Debate the Debate’ on presidential election

    MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN is doing a cross-platform initiative that enables its global audience to engage in a real-time online dialogue. The conversation can be held with other viewers and users as well as with select CNN contributors as they watch the upcoming presidential and vice presidential debates.

    The live, interactive conversations called “Debate the Debate with CNN” kicked off during the first presidential debate on 26 September. It will take place on ‘The Forum’ which is CNN.com’s recently launched platform for social and political self-expression.

    CNN.com senior VP, executive producer Rena Golden says, “’The Forum’ is quickly evolving into a community whose members are actively engaging in conversations about today’s hottest topics, in particular the fast-approaching presidential election,“The opportunity to host a real-time conversation among viewers during each of the upcoming debates is thrilling.”

    To participate in “Debate the Debate,” online users must register as a member of ‘The Forum’. Upon registration, users are provided with simple tools for self-identification, social networking and community-building, including the ability to design a personalized virtual “badge” that graphically depicts their political passions and positions on top issues.

    In addition to discussing the debate with other users, registered members of ‘The Forum’ get an opportunity to sound off with CNN contributors participating in the live, online conversation. CNN correspondent Candy Crowley, senior political analyst Bill Schneider, political analyst Mark Preston and political contributors Roland Martin and Leslie Sanchez are scheduled to engage in the community.

    ‘The Forum’ provides access to the most current election information, including detailed candidate profiles and platforms; examination of salient issues; an extensive video archive allowing users to hear from the candidates in their own words – raw and uncensored; and links to relevant political Web sites and other resources.

  • CNN celebrates second anniversary of iReport

    CNN celebrates second anniversary of iReport

    MUMBAI: Two years after inviting CNN’s global audience to contribute pictures and video of the news of the day, the network’s iReport initiative has brought in more than 175,000 videos and photos in its history, nearly 125,000 coming within the second year alone.

    The untimely death of Bernie Mac, a solar eclipse in Siberia, the conflict between Georgia and Russia conflict and Michael Phelps’ record-breaking eighth Olympic gold medal were among the most recent topics that moved CNN’s viewers to capture their own takes on the news as iReport celebrates its second anniversary.

    CNN News Services executive VP Susan Grant says, “With iReport, CNN wanted to engage viewers who have a desire to follow and participate in the news, and our iReporters have exceeded our expectations in both the quality and quantity of their submissions over the last two years. Sometimes the iReports we receive are first images of breaking news and often exhibit powerful points of view on issues or news events. But every day our iReporters show an enthusiasm for and pride in the community they have created.”

    With a 176 per cent rise in photo and video contributions since the same time last year, CNN’s user-generated content initiative now generates an average of nearly 15,000 iReports each month. iReport has proved to be an exceptionally powerful newsgathering tool for the network and is incorporated into reporting across multiple networks and platforms each day, including CNN/U.S., CNN.com, Headline News, CNN International and CNN en Español.

    The watershed moment for CNN’s iReport occurred on the morning of the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy in April 2007, when graduate student Jamal Albarghouti captured dramatic video on his cell phone. Since then, more and more iReports have been incorporated into the network’s coverage.

  • TV is top source of news in US: Pew

    TV is top source of news in US: Pew

    MUMBAI: Television is the leading source of news in the US. According to the Pew Research Centre’s bi-annual survey on news consumption habits, fewer Americans are reading newspapers.

    As per the survey, younger people tend to get more of their news on the Internet, while older folks use traditional media such as television and newspapers.

    Forty-six per cent of those polled — had a “heavy reliance” on television for their news at all times of the day. This group is the oldest, with a median age of 52, and least affluent, with 43 percent unemployed. They are unlikely to own a computer or go online for news.

    Overall, among those who get some of their news on TV, less watch the 6:30 broadcast network newscasts, and instead opt for cable news sources such as CNN or Fox News Channel. Majority of CNN’s audience consists of Democrats — while 39 percent of Fox News viewers are Republicans, 33 percent Democrats.

    The group that relies most on the Internet for news is the youngest at a median age of 35. It is also the smallest, at 13 percent of those polled. Fewer than half of them watch television news on a regular basis.

    As per the survey, consumers of online news tend to be more educated than those who get their news from traditional sources, with 44 percent of college graduates say that they read news online every day. Just 11 percent of those who topped out with a high school education go online for news.

    The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. It polled 3,615 adults 18 years or older by telephone between 30 April and 1 June.

  • CNN to double newsgathering presence in US

    CNN to double newsgathering presence in US

    MUMBAI: CNN plans to double its domestic newsgathering presence with new operations in 10 US cities, resulting in an aggressive expansion of its newsgathering in the US. The announcment was made by CNN US senior VP newsgathering Nancy Lane.

    The new operations will be based in Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Houston; Las Vegas; Minneapolis, Minn.; Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; and Seattle. This expansion will also allow CNN to build stronger partnerships with affiliates in new and existing locations across the country. CNN already has bureaus in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

    The newly expanded newsgathering operation will be staffed with a mix of traditional general assignment reporters with CNN’s current roster of “show-based correspondents” who are attached to many of CNN’s daytime and prime-time programs, and newly designated “all-platform journalists.” All-platform journalists will combine new technologies with traditional journalism skills to gather news from the heart of America for all CNN’s networks and services, especially CNN’s growing digital platforms.

    Lane said , “CNN’s rapid adoption of new technology over the years put us in the enviable position to be able to expand at a time when others are cutting back. Our technological innovations allow our reporters to be at the center of more breaking news events and developing stories across the United States, with greater independence and mobility than ever before. This expansion is a critical component of CNN Worldwide’s overall strategy for increased content ownership.”

    CNN’s most recent development of technology in newsgathering includes the use of lightweight kits that combine cameras, editing tools and advanced satellite and Internet communications technology into a laptop-based system. This suite of technologies enable CNN’s journalists to employ immediate live and video FTP submissions, real-time content monitoring, editing and voice communication from anywhere in the field.

  • London 2012 CEO Sebastian Coe to talk ‘Olympics’ on CNN

    London 2012 CEO Sebastian Coe to talk ‘Olympics’ on CNN

    MUMBAI: With the 2008 Olympics now well underway, the head of London 2012 is in Beijing to find out first hand what it takes to host the Games. Former Olympics champion Sebastian Coe joins Anjali Rao on this weekend’s Talk Asia to discuss Beijing’s experience as a host city, how China has handled controversial issues, and the blueprint for the London Olympics. The special airs on 16 August at 8:30 pm and on 17 August at 6:30 pm.

    Since being awarded the Olympics, Beijing has faced its share of criticism and controversy over human rights and political issues. Lord Coe believes international sports have enormous impact: “It’s a powerful vehicle for bringing communities together in a way that sometimes politicians don’t manage to do.” He adds however that it should not replace political dialogue: “We must never forget the power and the impact that international sport has had often in transformation, in helping with the process of change…but it is not the first line of foreign policy.”

    The former British politician does not shy away from criticism of London hosting the next Olympics. “You are never going to win the hearts and minds of everybody. Our regular polling shows that well over 70 percent of people in the UK are solidly behind this project,” he says. Indeed, he believes that hosting the Olympics in one’s own backyard can “inspire young people to do things that perhaps they hadn’t thought about.”

    The sporting legend is looking forward to the August 24 closing ceremony when London will be handed the Olympic mantle. This moment is of extra significance to Coe as this is the opportunity for London to showcase to the world what the city will expect to deliver in 2012: “We will have a very global moment in Beijing and that is the eight minutes that London will have in the closing ceremony.”