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Tag: CNN

  • CNN appoints Reza Sayah as international correspondent based in Pakistan

    MUMBAI: Continuing its expansion into international newsgathering, CNN Worldwide has appointed Reza Sayah as an international correspondent based in Pakistan. CNN’s SVP of international newsgathering Parisa Khosravi announced the appointment.

    An investigative reporter and anchor for WXYZ/Channel 7 in Detroit for the past six years, Sayah joins the network as Pakistan recovers from the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

    “Our expansion of personnel in Pakistan is part of our ongoing plan to gather and provide more content for all of CNN, especially since Pakistan remains a very important story on the international scene,” Khosravi said. “Sayah has a proven track record of solid reporting in the field and resourcefulness in getting to the critical elements of the story.”

    Through his 12-year career, Sayah has covered a variety of high-profile national and international stories including Hurricane Katrina and the sniper shootings in the Washington DC area.

    Born in Iran, Sayah speaks English, Farsi and French and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

  • CNN expands newsgathering operations in UAE

    MUMBAI: Continuing its growth and investment in international newsgathering, CNN Worldwide has begun expansion in its operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This includes the appointment of a new international correspondent, a new bureau chief and the opening of an office with full broadcast and production capabilities in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.

    The expanded operation in the UAE combines broadcast production facilities in the new Abu Dhabi Media Zone, with increased newsgathering operations set up alongside an existing editorial team for the CNNArabic.com. In addition to the expansion into Abu Dhabi, CNN also retains its base in Dubai, which has an increased newsgathering role for CNN alongside the main CNNArabic.com operation.

    This expansion of operations in the UAE is instrumental in developing the network’s coverage of the Gulf region and beyond, and supports current CNN bureaus in Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo and Jerusalem.

    As part of that expansion, a Middle-East correspondent for ABC News, Wilf Dinnick, becomes an international correspondent for CNN. Samson Desta, who becomes bureau chief, formerly worked as a supervising editor on CNN’s International Desk.

    CNN International executive VP, MD Tony Maddox says, “This is a major step forward for CNN as we ramp up our newsgathering capabilities around the world. Besides, the UAE is the perfect location for an operation of this kind both editorially and logistically. This announcement comes quickly on the heels of the details that we recently released about additional resources in India, Korea and Japan. In the coming weeks, we will announce new editorial operations in Africa and parts of Europe.”

    These new appointments and extended resources are all part of CNN’s on-going and major investment programmes in both newsgathering and editorial resources to generate and own more content for all of its platforms.

    As bureau chief, Samson Desta will be the co-ordinator of coverage from both offices and will oversee the building of the infrastructure in key countries in the region, notably Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Africa, as well as across the Middle East. Desta, who has been with CNN for more than 10 years, moves into this new role after serving as supervising editor on CNN’s International Desk, where he played a central role in co-ordinating coverage around the world for all of CNN’s networks and services. Major stories include international reaction to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the tsunami in South Asia and the death of Pope John Paul II.

    Joining CNN as the new UAE-based international correspondent, Wilf Dinnick comes from ABC News, where he served as a Middle-East correspondent. Prior to that, he worked for Canada’s Global National, CBC and CTV.

    Dinnick has covered Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, the South Asia tsunami, Haiti, the Ukraine and many other top stories in recent years. He will support CNN’s editorial needs across the region, which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Africa and the Middle East.

  • CNN to hold ceremony for YJA on 14 December

    MUMBAI: CNN International will host the fifth annual award ceremony of CNN Young Journalist Award (CNN YJA) on 14 December 2007. The awards will be given away at a gala ceremony in New Delhi. CNN YJA is the first of its kind award to recognise quality journalism among young media professionals in India and Pakistan.

    This year, the awards have five categories: the CNN Young Journalist Award for Print/Online and Television, CNN Journalist Award, CNN Photo Journalist Award, CNN Citizen Journalist Award and CNN Aspiring Journalist Award.

    The first three categories target young, professional/working journalists in India and Pakistan. CNN Citizen Journalist Award was instituted to encourage citizens of India [who are not professional journalists] to play an active role in the process of collecting and disseminating news and information on issues that have an impact on society. Whereas CNN Aspiring Journalist Award offers a platform to students of journalism in India to exhibit their talent in the field of journalism. A novel feature this year has been the large number of entries from both India & Pakistan for the CNN Photo Journalist Award and the CNN Journalist Award – a special award included this year to celebrate 60th year of India and Pakistan’s Independence.

    As in previous years, CNN YJA, once again, received an overwhelming response from journalists in both countries. The winners of CNN YJA 2007 would be announced in the presence of CNN New Delhi bureau chief Phil Turner and CNN International reporter and producer Mallika Kapur.

    All the entries had to go through a stringent selection process. The entries for CNN YJA, CNN Journalist Award and CNN Photo Journalist Award categories have been evaluated by a jury panel. For the CNN Aspiring Journalist Award, the entrants were asked to submit an essay in 1,000 words on the topic: ‘Has the media broadened its reach only to narrow its focus’.

    Ten best finalists will be judged in an on-the-spot contest, a day prior to the awards’ evening. For the CNN Citizen Journalist Award, the executive jury chose the winner from the images/video files broadcast on CNN-IBN, between 1 January, 2007 and 30 September, 2007.

  • CNN’s ‘Task’ Group to organise eco-tourism event

    MUMBAI: On 7 December 2007, international and Indian personalities in the fields of eco-tourism and conservation will come together at Horizons 2007 – Eco Tourism in New Delhi to discuss ways to develop sustainable eco-tourism in India. Horizons 2007 – Eco Tourism has been organized by CNN’s Task group (Tourism Advertising Solutions and Knowledge), recently launched by CNN’s advertising division.

    For the uninitiated, Eco Tourism is environmentally responsible travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local population.

    Participating in the event will be the Ministry of Tourism (MOT), Government of India and supported by PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association). The conference aims to stimulate discussions on a timely topic – tourism and related issues – and will seek to provide insight and learnings, based on successful models and best practices, both in India and globally.

    Horizons 2007 – Eco Tourism will draw on the expertise of some of people who work in the field of sustainable tourism growth. These include Climate Change expert Prof. Ian Swingland; policy advisor Lisa Choegyal; International zoo expert Bernard Harrison; Managing Director of Jetwing Hotels, Hiran Cookay; herpetologist, wildlife conservationist and founder of the Madras Snake Park, The Andaman and Nicobar Environment Trust (ANET), the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Romulus Whittaker and renowned travel journalist and author, Yeoh Siew Hoon.

    Representing the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India will be the Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni, Secretary S Bannerjee and Joint Secretary Leela Nandan.

    Turner International India VP, ad sales India and South Asia Monica Tata said, “With the rapid growth of the Indian Tourism industry over the last few years, this is the right time to plan future strategies that will balance tourism growth and environment conservation. The Task Group has brought together an experienced panel to debate, discuss and deliberate on effective solutions, necessary to successfully implement eco tourism and sustainable tourism in India.”

    Leveraging the expertise of the panellists, the forum will dwell on how responsible and strategic tourism initiatives will offer benefits to future generations. Some of the key sessions on the agenda include a case study on a country that has implemented a successful ecotourism model; eco labelling and the importance of marketing and a peek into the evolved, ecologically sensitive traveller of tomorrow. A white paper will be formulated from the deliberations and policy discussions of the conference that will then be shared with the Ministry of Tourism for implementation.

    The Task Group is a fully complimentary client service comprising a team of external experts working closely with CNN, who focus on building partnerships with clients to create impactful solutions for their tourism strategies. The Group offers clients best of breed advice, information and intelligence to significantly enhance their nation and brand building efforts. The Group is the first service of its kind in the international television marketplace.

  • 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 announces senior appointments

    MUMBAI: CNN International has made two senior level appointments, laying the foundation for future growth and development across CNN’s global network.

    Journalist and news programming executive Katherine Green has been appointed to the lead position of senior vice president of CNN International programming. Green, most recently vice president/news director of WTTG/Fox 5 News in Washington, D.C., will be based at the network’s world headquarters in Atlanta. In addition, Mike McCarthy, managing editor for CNN International, has been promoted to the new position of vice president of coverage and feature programming.

    In her new role at CNN International, Green will oversee all of the editorial production, program development, network talent and day-to-day operations of CNN International. CNN International executive VP, MD Tony Maddox says, “Katherine brings a unique and formidable track record in programming innovation, a wealth of editorial talent and really exciting ideas to this job. This is one of the key appointments for the international group, and Katherine’s exceptional management skills are what we need as we aggressively move into an era of digital development and growth for the network.”

    During a career spanning more than 20 years, Green has been instrumental in launching new and innovative news broadcasts and winning numerous awards, including more than a dozen Edward R. Murrow awards, several Emmy awards and other honors from the Associated Press and other organizations. She has a long track record for both market growth and leadership in various U.S top 10 markets including Washington, D.C, Baltimore, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla., and New York.

    Green said, “CNN epitomizes global news with a quality and integrity that other networks can only aspire to match. To be able to shape CNN International for the future is a rare opportunity and a challenge I relish.”

    For his new role, McCarthy will remain based in Atlanta and will oversee major breaking news and the growing strand of feature programs produced in CNN’s London, Hong Kong and Atlanta production centers. “Mike is an exceptional journalist and newsroom leader, and his promotion solidifies a management team exceptionally equipped to energize our programming and create content not just for television but rapidly growing platforms inside and outside of CNN,” Maddox adds.

    McCarthy has served as CNN International’s Atlanta-based managing editor since November 2002. Prior to this appointment, he was senior executive producer for news and business coverage from CNN’s regional production center in London, where he was instrumental in creating CNN International’s feature strand as well as relaunching the European morning wheel of programming with integrated news and business coverage.

    McCarthy said, “One of the keys to our success in the future is harnessing the incredible reach of CNN International’s resources to create new and engaging multi-platform programming for an increasingly diverse and sophisticated audience”.

    McCarthy joined CNN as a senior producer, business news in May 1999. He previously held the post of deputy programme editor at the London News Network, responsible for London Today and London Tonight.

  • CNN to invest in expanding newsgathering network

    MUMBAI: In the biggest expansion of international newsgathering resources in its 27-year history, CNN Worldwide has announced plans to significantly increase the number of correspondents worldwide, open a regional newsgathering hub in the United Arab Emirates, invest in a London-based digital-production unit, and make major investments in CNN’s International Newsource and CNN’s in-house wire operations.

    CNN International executive VP, MD Tony Maddox says, “This is all about owning more content; these new resources will have a huge impact across all of CNN’s networks and platforms. Owning the content we broadcast, publish and make available to affiliates and other platforms is the backbone of this business. This multi-million dollar investment in staff and resources bolster our world-class, award-winning journalism as well as give us the power to move swiftly into developing new business models.”

    New operations are also planned for India, Afghanistan, Belgium, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland and Vietnam. CNN will also appoint two new correspondents for the network’s Johannesburg bureau and add an additional correspondent at both its London and Istanbul bureaus.

    Investments are underway in CNN’s Asia Pacific newsgathering hub in Hong Kong to increase staffing, and the network plans to assign additional correspondents in Beijing, Jakarta and Pakistan.

    At the same time, CNN is also revitalizing its Tokyo bureau to encompass additional reporting duties in South Korea to work within the current structure.

    CNN will expand both its newsgathering and production facilities in the United Arab Emirates, bringing to bear more resources across the region in terms of programming and reporting, including more business coverage.

    CNN is also expanding its international online services with the creation of a digital production unit that will be primarily based in London, with additional staffing also in Hong Kong and Atlanta. This unit will produce and feed the rapidly growing number of new platforms that CNN services globally. This team will work alongside the television operation and will be responsible for providing content for CNN International, CNNArabic.com, CNNMobile and new CNN services on TV-to-broadband sites.

    CNN’s International Newsource operation will also expand to provide additional editorial, content and newsgathering services to CNN’s more than 1,000 affiliates worldwide. CNN’s in-house wire service is also being strengthened with additional staff to ensure swift and accurate dissemination of all of the additional material becoming available across all of CNN Worldwide services and networks.

    In Mexico, CNN en Español will strengthen its presence with the hiring of an anchor and correspondent and an additional editor working from the network’s Mexico City newsgathering bureau and production center. CNN en Español also will add to its editorial team in Atlanta to better service the increased volume of affiliate and stringer content and the development of new digital services.

  • CNN creates presence in Second Life

    MUMBAI: US news broadcaster CNN has opened a hub within Second Life, a three-dimensional virtual world entirely created by its residents. The network will look to those most familiar with the virtual world – the Second Life residents themselves – to determine what constitutes news “in-world.”

    Just as CNN asks its real-life audience to submit iReports – user-generated content submitted from cell phones, computers, cameras and other equipment for broadcast and online reports – the network invites the residents of Second Life to share their own “SL iReports” about events occurring within the virtual world.

    CNN News Services executive VP Susan Grant says, “The thing we most hope to gain by having a CNN presence in Second Life is to learn about virtual worlds and understand what news is most interesting and valuable to their residents. Our iReport initiative has generated a great response from CNN viewers and users who contribute a wide variety of news, events and perspectives every day; and we are genuinely excited about the opportunity to forge a similar relationship with Second Life residents, albeit recognizing the need to customize the process for the virtual world.”

    When Second Life residents observe an in-world event, they can take snapshots, shoot video, or write a report about the event and submit to CNN with a click. Submissions selected by CNN iReport producers will go back into Second Life as SL iReports for residents to view throughout the virtual world. SL iReports may also be viewed and discussed in the real world at CNN.com’s SL iReport Blog at www.CNN.com/secondlife, where users are invited to share comments and subscribe to daily e-mail updates sent via Real Simple Syndication (RSS).

    CNN’s in-world hub includes a news desk where weekly editorial discussions will be held and an amphitheater for in-world events, such as training sessions and appearances by CNN anchors and correspondents. During the weekly editorial discussions, held each Tuesday at 5 p.m. (ET), one of CNN’s SL iReport ambassadors, CNN producers and editors with experience in virtual worlds, will moderate a conversation with residents about the prior week’s SL iReports and upcoming in-world events that might be interesting to cover.

    At the network’s hub, residents also can meet SL iReport ambassadors and other resident reporters, as well as access iReport kiosks, free-standing terminals where residents can pick up free gear and tools for gathering and viewing in-world user-generated content.

    Kiosks offer a variety of free gear and tools including:

    • A “HUD” or “heads-up display. This is a small, collapsible window that resides on the user’s computer screen enabling them to view the latest photo and text SL iReports while they are in Second Life; 
    • A continuous stream of the latest video SL iReports; 
    • An instructional video on what an SL iReport is and how to submit one; 
    • Avatar-ready apparel, including hats, T -shirts and press badges; and 
    • A duplicate copy of the kiosk itself, which residents can place wherever they choose across Second Life.

  • CNN announces winners of Asia Pacific Screen Awards

    MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN has announced the winners of the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards at a ceremony on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Over 500 film industry personalities from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the US attended the ceremony.

    Films from India, Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, Iran, Turkey and Israel received Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Scene By Scene – Best Films Of Asia Pacific airs on CNN on 17 November 2007 at 12:30 pm and 8:30 pm and on 18 November at 12:30 pm. 

    The awards were determined by an International Jury headed by Indian actress Shabana Azmi.

    The best film award was won by Secret Sunshine from Korea. Jeon Do-yeon received the Best Performance by an Actress Award for her performance in the same film.

    The best achievement in directing was awarded to Iranian directors Rakhshan Bani-Etemad and Mohsen Abdolvahab for the film Mainline.

    Best screenplay was awarded to Feroz Abbas Khan for his screenplay for the Indian film Gandhi, My Father. Khan was on the Gold Coast to accept the Award.

    Best children’s film was Denias, Singing On The Cloud from Indonesia. The Award was accepted by producer Ari Sihasale.

    Best animated film was won by 5 Centimeers Per Second from Japan. Producer Noritaka Kawaguchi accepted the Award.

    Turkish actor Erkan Can won the Best Performance by an Actor Award for his performance in Takva.

    Asia Pacific Screen Awards chairman Des Power thanked Azmi and her jury colleagues, founding Director of Korea’s Pusan International Film Festival Kim Dong-ho, Iranian director Jafar Panahi, UK producer Nik Powell and Chinese filmmaker Tian Zhuangzhuang for their deliberations over the past week.

    “I am very grateful to the members of the Jury. They have been extraordinarily dedicated to the challenging task of determining the Awards and I am inspired by their commitment to the aims of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards to recognise cultural diversity and acclaim filmmaking excellence across the Asia-Pacific region.

    “I congratulate the winners of the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards announced tonight who also inspire with their courage and creative brilliance.”

  • CNN’s global warning: Planet In Peril

    MUMBAI: CNN will air a two-part special series Planet In Peril on 24 and 25 October at 6:30 pm. The show which took nearly a year to make takes viewers to four continents and 13 countries where environmental change is not a theory, or possibility, but a crisis happening in real time. Filmed in high-definition, this four-hour documentary tackles the threats to the world’s environment.

    Bringing viewers the stories behind the statistics, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, chief medical correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta and Animal Planet host and wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin will focus on four main issues that threaten the planet and its inhabitants: climate change, deforestation, species loss and overpopulation.

    Broadcast to a combined audience of more than 300 hundred million households on CNN International and CNN/US with an in-depth companion site on www.cnn.com/planetinperil, the documentary brings first-hand accounts of environmental strife as Cooper, Corwin and Gupta travel across the globe to explore these changes and reveal what they mean for each region and the world at large.

    Cooper and Corwin travelled to Brazil to examine connections between the rapid deforestation of the Amazon River Basin and changes in the world’s climate, embedding with “poacher police” amid raids of illegal logging camps. In Thailand and Cambodia, they walk the markets where endangered animals are bought and sold to find out how their removal can affect entire ecosystems. Additionally, they travelled to Greenland to report on its melting ice sheet, where Cooper witnessed one of the world’s newest islands, discovered when the ice receded.

    Taking viewers beyond the broad headlines, Corwin visits Alaska to help viewers understand how North America’s largest carnivore, the polar bear, is quickly losing its habitat and exists at the edge of extinction. Cooper and Corwin report from Yellowstone Park to show how park officials reintroduce species to their native environment.

    With his extensive medical expertise, Gupta brings a deep understanding of the environmental pressures on the human population. In China, Gupta examines how the world’s most populous nation consumes its natural resources and the toll it takes on its people and the entire world. He also reports from Central Africa to show how climate change is drying up one of the world’s largest lakes and the impact that is having on a region already in crisis.