ITV

Tag: Jeff Zucker

  • CNN Worldwide appoints Rani Raad as president, CNN commercial

    CNN Worldwide appoints Rani Raad as president, CNN commercial

    MUMBAI: CNN Worldwide has appointed Rani Raad as president, CNN commercial, in a new global position to broaden the company’s new business streams and increase the value that CNN provides to commercial partners around the world.

    By centralizing the management and strategy of its commercial activity in one operation, CNN is creating a more integrated, agile and global approach to the way it assesses market needs, develops solutions and works with partners.

    To achieve this and ensure that CNN is best positioned to continue its commercial success into the decade, Raad will work closely with WarnerMedia Sales and International on its CNN advertising and distribution activity, lead international business through CNN International Commercial, optimize CNN Worldwide’s directly controlled revenue operations and maximize the commercial potential of development of new products.

    Effective immediately, Raad reports directly to Jeff Zucker, Chairman, WarnerMedia News and Sports & President, CNN Worldwide.

    “There has never been a more important time to be strategic and purposeful about revenue generation across the platforms of CNN Worldwide,” said Zucker. “By aligning Rani and his team more closely with the rest of the CNN organization, there is no doubt it will make a big difference in our ability to find new ways of doing business and enhanced opportunities for our clients around the world.”

    Raad, a CNN veteran of 22 years, started his career at the company in New York before holding a number of senior international roles with CNN and WarnerMedia. In 2013, Raad combined all business operations of CNN’s properties outside of the United States within the division CNN International Commercial (CNNIC), including advertising, sponsorship, content sales & licensing, out of home, marketing and audiences & data. Since then, as president of CNNIC Raad has developed the business by introducing a cross-platform and data-led strategy with increased digital capabilities, tailored for a wide range of client and market needs across over 200 countries and territories.

    Raad said: “I don’t think I have ever seen a time when CNN has been so influential, both in the US and internationally. An era of structural change in the media market, the increased demand for verified news and the economic impact of Covid-19 is fundamentally changing the way we need to work with our business partners. With our premium brand, sophisticated solutions and worldwide reach, it’s now more important than ever before that our business partners, wherever they are, have greater and faster access to CNN’s full suite of global capabilities.” 

  • Depute law officer to probe NDTV tax case, Swamy urges FM

    MUMBAI: Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has recommended through his Twitter handle that the finance ministry should field a Law Officer with the integrity to challenge NDTV’s income tax case of Rs.525 cr failing which it would have to face protest by him (Swamy.

    Earlier, NDTV published what it calls a ‘statement of facts’ on income tax case. NDTV states: This entire issue relates to a blatantly false case. In 2008, GE (USA) invested $150 million in NDTV through their media subsidiary NBC (USA).

    Six years later, in 2014, the Income Tax Department of India – without any evidence at all – called this investment a “sham transaction”, thereby accusing GE and NBC of being “fronts” or “name-lenders” for “money-laundering”. The Income Tax Department is in effect accusing the CEOs of GE and NBC of a crime for which, under US law, they will go to jail, if convicted. The CEOs involved in the deal are Jeff Immelt (CEO of GE who has met PM Modi on several occasions, including recently) and Jeff Zucker (former CEO of NBC and now President of CNN).

    This behaviour by the IT department is damaging for India and deeply harms the reputation of our country internationally at a time when we are trying to pitch India as an ideal place to do business, NDTV stated.

    For the Income Tax Department to call some of the world’s most respected business leader like Immelt and Zucker ‘money launderers’ amounts to what is widely known as “Tax Terrorism”. On this accusation, NDTV is being continuously harassed as part of a concerted effort to silence an Indian media house that has always stood and fought for independent journalism – despite repeated threats and intimidation.

    NDTV has appealed against the case. It has not been heard for two-and-a-half years as the income tax authorities have asked for no less than 20 adjournments. Since the first hearing, NDTV has not asked for a single adjournment. It suits the tax department to have this case drag on since it has no evidence of its wild and unsubstantiated allegations. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has clearly told the Delhi High Court that while complaints against NDTV have been received, the allegations were not supported by even prima facie material, NDTV stated.

  • CNN Indonesia goes on air

    CNN Indonesia goes on air

    MUMBAI: CNN Indonesia began broadcasting today (17 August, 2015).

     

    From brand new state-of-the-art news facilities located in the Transmedia broadcast centre in Jakarta, CNN Indonesia will offer viewers a mix of national and international news, plus the latest in business and sport in Bahasa Indonesia.

     

    The start of CNN Indonesia TV follows the launch of CNNIndonesia.com in October last year. The digital platform is an integral component of the CNN Indonesia brand with the ability to reach Indonesians at home and abroad.

     

    CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker said, “This is an incredibly important day for us. To be able to extend our footprint locally and reach millions of Indonesians is hugely exciting and humbling. We are confident Transmedia will deliver first-class content that appeals to Indonesians all across the country.”

     

    Turner Broadcasting International president Gerhard Zeiler added, “Turner is committed to Indonesia and committed to growth and development in the Asia-Pacific region. We welcome CNN Indonesia to the family and look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

     

    CNN Indonesia is part of a strategic effort by CNN International Commercial’s Content Sales and Partnerships Group. Its core business is to explore ways to reach more consumers locally, regionally and internationally by partnering with other leading media organisations. CNN Indonesia is the latest addition to the CNN family that includes CNN Philippines, CNN Turk and CNN Chile.

  • Turner Broadcasting system and Trans Media to launch CNN Indonesia

    Turner Broadcasting system and Trans Media to launch CNN Indonesia

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. and PT Trans Media Corpora have today announced a strategic partnership to launch CNN Indonesia, a 24-hour news channel and accompanying website in Bahasa Indonesia. This ground-breaking channel will be the first of its kind for CNN in Southeast Asia, delivering a localized version of CNN’s unique brand of high-quality news to the region’s most populous nation.

     

    Jeff Zucker, CNN Worldwide President, said: “This agreement with one of the country’s largest media corporations puts  CNN  in  a  unique position to  reach millions  of  Indonesians in  a  way that  we  have  not  been able  to previously. The  combination  of  the  strength  of  the  worldwide  newsgathering  power  of  CNN  with  the  local perspective and sensibility that Trans Media will bring to the partnership enables us to provide important news and information to this enormous, non-English speaking audience.”

     

    Chairul Tanjung, Founder and Chairman of Trans Media’s parent company, CT Corp, added: “I believe this partnership will help Indonesians to better understand the world and even more importantly, also help the world to better understand Indonesia. This is a partnership of two like-minded organisations who share common values of quality, integrity and transparency. CNN Indonesia will be the new destination for trustworthy and engaging content.”

     

    The TV channel will be accompanied by a strong digital presence, including CNNIndonesia.com. With more than 100 million Indonesians expected to be online by 2016, a multi-platform brand will be a vital and complementary component to the on-air offering.

     

    In addition to engaging leading local journalists to generate compelling coverage, the channel will also tap into CNN International’s vast pool of journalistic talent and share content from global affiliate partnerships. Trans Media will operate CNN Indonesia from its facilities in Jakarta. A launch date will be announced in due course.

  • CNN’s “Anthony bourdain parts unknown” scores four primetime emmy award nominations

    CNN’s “Anthony bourdain parts unknown” scores four primetime emmy award nominations

    MUMBAI: CNN’s “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown” series has been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards in its inaugural season, and marks the first time CNN has been honored with a Primetime Emmy nod. The one-hour lifestyle series follows host Anthony Bourdain- world-renowned chef, bestselling author and Emmy winning television personality- as he travels across the globe to uncover little-known areas of the world and celebrate diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals.

    Nominations include:
    Outstanding Informational Series or Special: “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown”
    Outstanding Writing For Nonfiction Programming: “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown” Libya.

    Episode featured Bourdain’s look at Libya through personal stories, food and the music of anti-Qaddafi expats who returned to fight.
    Outstanding Cinematography For Nonfiction Programming: “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown” Myanmar.

    Series premiere offered an inside look at Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma, discovering the fabled beauty and local cuisines of a country that had been, up until recently, off-limits to outsiders.
    Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming: “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown” Myanmar.

    “These nominations are a true reflection of the hard work done by Tony and his team, and their enthusiasm for parts unknown worldwide has been recognized by viewers and the industry,” said Jeff Zucker, President, CNN Worldwide. “In addition, this is the first time in our history that CNN has been honored with Primetime Emmy nominations, validating our commitment to expanding the definition of news for our audiences.”

    “In less than a year I became part of the CNN family, traveled to locations I never thought possible and ‘Parts Unknown’ has now been honored with four Primetime Emmy nominations,” said Bourdain. “I am honored and humbled and ready to do it all over again in season two.”

    The CNN Original Series Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, will begin its second season of eight episodes on September 16, and will explore the food, culture and history of parts unknown within Spain, New Mexico, Israel, Copenhagen, Sicily, Detroit, Tokyo and India.

  • Turner appoints Jeff Zucker as CNN Worldwide prez

    Turner appoints Jeff Zucker as CNN Worldwide prez

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System has appointed Jeff Zucker as the president of its multi-platform global news enterprise CNN Worldwide. Zucker will report to Turner Broadcasting System chairman and CEO Phil Kent and will be based at CNN in New York.

    In January 2013, Zucker will assume executive oversight of a portfolio of 23 branded news and information businesses that includes CNN/US, CNN International, CNN.com and HLN and reaches to over two billion people in some 200 countries around the world.

    Zucker takes charge at a time when CNN is facing challenges in the American market, trailing behind Fox and MSNBC. CNN has followed a neutral policy while Fox and MSNBC have a confrontational approach through their talk shows.

    He started his 25-year career with NBC as a researcher for NBC Sports‘ coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games and rose to president and chief executive officer of NBC Universal.

    He was named executive producer of ‘Today‘ in January 1992; under his eight-year leadership, the program was the most-watched morning news show and the most profitable program on television. Zucker went on to executive-produce NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and the network‘s coverage of the Persian Gulf War, the 1993 and 1997 presidential inaugurations and the 2000 elections.

           

    He was promoted to president of NBC Entertainment, president of the NBC Entertainment, News & Cable group and president and CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group. Currently, Zucker is executive producer of the syndicated daytime show Katie.

    “Jeff‘s experience as a news executive is unmatched for its breadth and success,” said Kent. “He built and sustained the number-one brand in morning news, and under his watch NBC‘s signature news programming set a standard for quality and professionalism. As a programmer, a brand-builder and a leader, he will bring energy and new thinking to CNN. I couldn‘t be happier to welcome him or more excited about what he‘ll accomplish here.”

    “I am thrilled to join the distinguished team of journalists across the worldwide platforms of CNN,” said Zucker. “The global reach and scale of the CNN brand is unparalleled in all of news. Outside of my family and the Miami Dolphins, there is nothing I am as passionate about as journalism. I spent the most rewarding years of my career as a journalist, and it‘s where I look forward to spending many more. I am grateful to Phil Kent for this opportunity, and I‘m excited to return to daily newsgathering and compelling storytelling in a place that values those above all else.”

    The original 24-hour news network CNN has the greatest reach of any domestic news network. The CNN brand on television extends to 100 million households in the U.S. and 265 million households abroad, with significant online and mobile reach and a global newsgathering network with 45 locations.

    CNN signatures include Anderson Cooper 360, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Piers Morgan Tonight, State of the Union, Amanpour and Quest Means Business, as well as award-winning documentaries, unrivaled breaking news coverage and peerless political reporting.

             

  • Jeff Zucker elevated to NBC Universal president, CEO

    Jeff Zucker elevated to NBC Universal president, CEO

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate NBC Universal has announced that Jeff Zucker is its president and CEO.

    He succeedes Bob Wright, who has served in this role for 21 years..

    NBC Universal’s parent firm General Electric Company Chairman and CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt says, ” Jeff will succeed one of the true giants in media — Bob Wright — to whom we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for helping to build this great media company. By any measure, Bob is one of the most successful media executives ever.

    “He transformed NBC from a broadcast network into a diversified global media company. He was always able to see what was coming next, whether it was cable, satellite, Hispanic broadcasting or digital media. Bob’s strategic vision and execution kept NBC growing.”

    Zucker, 41, is a 21-year veteran of NBC Universal. As president and CEO, he will have responsibility for the strategic direction and operations of all NBC Universal properties. Zucker is one of the industry’s most experienced executives and has spent much of his career working in NBC’s news, sports, and entertainment divisions. As CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group since 2005, Zucker has overseen the company’s television programming and distribution operations, which account for two-thirds of the company’s overall profits.

    Immelt adds, “Jeff Zucker is a terrific talent and the right person to guide NBC Universal on the next stage of its growth. His 20-plus years with NBC give him deep knowledge of the company’s strategy, people and culture. In the past few years, Jeff has shown that he is an energetic, focused leader who can rise to a challenge. His creative experience, expertise in news and broadcasting and intense passion for the business were immensely appealing to the Board and to me during this succession process.

    In addition to serving as a vice chairman of GE, Wright will assist with the leadership transition at NBCU.

    Zucker said, “Bob has been a terrific mentor to me throughout my career, and I am honored to be his successor and fortunate to assume responsibility of a company that is so well positioned for future growth. I’ve spent my entire career at NBC and had the privilege to work with the best in the business every day. I look forward to continuing to work with this talented management team as we take NBC Universal to the next level.”