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Tag: Obama

  • Warner Bros Discovery hires Robert Gibbs as chief communications & public affairs boss

    Warner Bros Discovery hires Robert Gibbs as chief communications & public affairs boss

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has announced the appointment of  Robert Gibbs as chief communications & public affairs officer. In this newly created role, he will oversee WBD’s corporate and business communications as well as public affairs. An experienced and proven communications and public policy leader, Gibbs will officially assume the role on 5 August and report to WBD CEO David Zaslav.

    “At this transformative time in our industry, Robert is the right leader to assume this new, critical global role, as we continue to grow the Warner Bros Discovery brand and presence around the world,” said Zaslav. “Robert is an insightful and respected leader with experience spanning Fortune 500 companies, the White House, and winning political campaigns. He will be an invaluable part of the team as we create the most captivating stories and content for consumers around the world. I am thrilled to welcome him to WBD.”

    “I couldn’t be happier to join Warner Bros Discovery and to help tell the incredible stories of so many iconic brands across entertainment, news and sports,” said Gibbs. “I’m particularly excited to work with the global team to fully and clearly capture WBD’s vision and communicate the meaningful growth potential in front of us. I am looking forward to getting started and being a part of this world-class organisation.”

    Gibbs most recently served as a partner at Bully Pulpit International, a strategic communications, public affairs, and corporate reputation advisory firm. From 2015 to 2019, Gibbs served as the executive vice president for corporate relations and global chief communications officer for McDonald’s, where he oversaw the company’s global corporate communications, internal and executive communications, government relations and public affairs work. At McDonald’s, Gibbs globalised the communications function, led communications strategy for the company’s successful launch of delivery service, and drove significant awareness of key strategic initiatives including improved food quality and the “America’s Best First Job” campaign.

    Prior to McDonald’s, Gibbs held several senior communications and advisory roles in the Obama White House and his presidential campaigns. He was the Obama Administration’s first White House press secretary and an assistant to the president from January 2009 to February 2011. Gibbs began working for Obama in 2004 as communications director for his US senate campaign. He held the same job in Obama’s US senate office and during his 2008 presidential campaign. After leaving the White House, Gibbs served as a senior advisor to president Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
     

  • BBC to cover Barack Obama’s India visit live

    BBC to cover Barack Obama’s India visit live

    MUMBAI: BBC World News’ ‘Global with Matthew Amroliwala’ and BBC World Service’s international debate and discussion show ‘World Have Your Say’ will broadcast live from Delhi marking India’s Republic Day and US President Barack Obama’s visit.

    Global’s three days of live broadcasts, from 26 to 28 January, come as BBC’s international services launch a three month season of new content across TV, radio and online, which includes a raft of India focused programming.

    BBC World Service’s international debate and discussion show ‘World Have Your Say’ will be broadcast from Delhi on 30 January.

    The season opens with a live TV debate from the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland on 23 January, 2015 on BBC World News TV and then will move around the world offering a huge variety of programmes, online reports, news features, graphics, short films, social media call-outs and debates across January, February and March.

    Life in emerging markets such as China, India and countries across Africa will be put in the spotlight together with more established economic powers such as the USA.

    With a dedicated website at bbc.com/richerworld, a hashtag #bbcricherworld and features on the Facebook pages, the services’ global audience will be encouraged to participate.

    Whether it’s sharing the contents of their fridges to discuss consumption patterns, suggesting the best night clubs in East Africa or taking part in radio or TV debates their experiences and thoughts will be represented.

    World Service Group director Fran Unsworth said, “The Richer World Season brings together the best of our international services to provide dynamic, engaging content for our 265 million viewers and listeners around the world. With projects such as Soup and Fridgeonomics the teams bring creative new angles to hard and soft news stories that affect people around the world. The BBC occupies a unique position – only we have the worldwide expertise, from our World Service journalists to our global news gathering teams, to deliver seasons like this.”

    Highlighting the BBC’s Indian content, BBC Global News COO Naveen Jhunjhunwala said, “The BBC has been broadcasting to and from India since the 1930s – people started relating to BBC via the World Service Radio, and we were one of the first to broadcast news. We are very proud of our channel’s heritage here and our continuing relationship with Indian viewers. This season of dynamic, engaging content delivered across all platforms reaffirms our editorial and business commitment to this important market, as we work to tell the Indian story around the world.”

    The highlighting points for India are:.

     

    Fridgeonomics: As research suggests about two thirds of India’s population do not have a fridge, WS’s The Food Chain and World Have Your Say together with WN Talking Business examine what food and access to fridges say about changing wealth, consumption and lifestyles. “World Have Your Say” will host a radio debate in India presented by Anu Anand on 30 January, 2015 while former editor of Focus On Africa will be exploring how fridges are changing Africa in a special radio documentary.

     

    Tata: India’s Global Giant TV and radio documentary with accompanying online feature takes a look at an India’s largest and most global company with a reputation for ethical capitalism. As Tata funds a day of sport for British school children it’s an intriguing sign of our changing times. Tata has turned around Jaguar and is shoring up Europe’s steel-making industry with its purchase of the Anglo-Dutch Corus group in 2008. It now earns 70 per cent of its revenue overseas.

     

    Living India: A three part radio series by Rupa Jha explores the new India through the lives of ordinary people and asks why so many people are still living in poverty, without basic amenities and whether a change of government is offering any hope to the silent majority.

     

    Witness: In 1998, India’s first call centre business opened. It was the birth of a huge new industry for the country, which now employs hundreds of thousands of Indians. Pramod Bhasin was the businessman who opened the first call centre. He will be seen speaking to “Witness” it will be followed by another edition by Justin Rowlatt presenting five stories of “our times” told by the people who were there. This edition explores Goan Independence, the last days of the Raj, the Partition of India, the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the epic TV series Ramayan with those who witnessed events first hand.

     

    The Birth of Empire: The East India Company – Dan Snow will travel throughout India in the footsteps of the company that revolutionised the British lifestyle and laid the foundations of today’s global trading systems.

     

    Our World: Bringing “Back Business” – From Walmart to Apple, from Colorado to California, companies across the United States say they are bringing jobs back from overseas. As wages rise in countries such as China and India the show will debate, if the tide turning on one of the biggest trends in globalisation – the outsourcing of work from the rich to the developing world.

     

    Global with Matthew Amroliwala: The flagship daily TV show to be the home of the Richer World season on BBC World News, with guests and discussions around the key themes, including three days of live broadcasting from Delhi.

     

    Talking Business with Linda Yueh: Featuring reports and discussions including Fridgeonomics.

     

    Indian Business Report: Weekly look at all aspects of the country’s rapidly developing economy.

  • Micro-blogging site Twitter to beef up security following recent high-profile breaches

    Micro-blogging site Twitter to beef up security following recent high-profile breaches

    MUMBAI: Twitter in an effort to guard their users from being hacked. The site would soon be introducing a new system to ensure the user logging in is genuine.

    The recent attacks broke into news organisations‘ accounts, such as the Financial Times and the newswire service the Associated Press (AP).

    One tweet sent from AP‘s hacked account said President Obama had been injured.

    Some attacks have come from political organisations, notably the Syrian Electronic Army, which appears to act in support of President Assad‘s government.

    It claimed credit for hacking several news organisations, including AP.

    Twitter product security head Jim O‘Leary said that despite the new security plans, users should start out with a strong password adding, “Of course, even with this new security option turned on, it‘s still important for you to use a strong password and follow the rest of our advice for keeping your account secure.”

    Twitter said the new system would allow users to opt for a two-step system that would require a verification code for each sign-in.

    O‘Leary said this would be simple: “You‘ll need a confirmed email address and a verified phone number. After a quick test to confirm that your phone can receive messages from Twitter, you‘re ready to go.”

    A message would then be sent to the account holder‘s mobile phone with a verification code to login with.

    Other security breaches suffered by Twitter included one in February, when 250,000 users had their passwords stolen in an attack.

    News organisations including the BBC were warned by Twitter last month to tighten security in the wake of the high-profile hacks, one of which got into the BBC‘s weather feed.

  • Obama speech writer Jon Favreau to turn to script writing

    Obama speech writer Jon Favreau to turn to script writing

    MUMBAI: President Obama‘s head speechwriter, Jon Favreau is considering pursuing a career in writing scripts for films.

    Favreau, who was just 23 when he joined then-Senator Obama‘s staff, will leave his job on 1 March.

    During his tenure, Favreau cultivated a celebrity persona of sorts, dating actress Rashida Jones and taking her to the 2007 White House Correspondents‘ Dinner. He was named one of People‘s most beautiful people in the world in 2009 and has been touted as an influential figure by GQ, Time and Vanity Fair.

    Favreau‘s friends are of the belief that he is interested in following the footsteps of former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett, who went on to co-create NBC‘s political comedy 1600 Penn. Though he plans on staying in Washington for some time now but may move to Los Angeles later.

    During his time at the White House, Favreau penned big speeches for the president, including Obama‘s first inaugural address and his healthcare speech to Congress. The president has since thanked him for his service.

    Cody Keenan, who is a Chicago native in charge of writing Obama‘s upcoming State of the Union address will succeed Favreau.

  • CNN unveils coverage plans for Obama’s inauguration

    CNN unveils coverage plans for Obama’s inauguration

    MUMBAI: CNN will screen the inauguration of US President-elect Barack Obama. Airing on 20 January 2009 from 3.30 pm, the coverage includes the swearing-in ceremony at 10.30 pm and the inauguration parade.

     

    The Inauguration of Barack Obama will kick off with live programming from Capitol Hill from 3.30 pm. Beginning at 8.30 pm, CNN’s coverage location will move to the Newseum where Blitzer and Cooper will be joined by senior political analysts Gloria Borger and David Gergen. Chief national correspondent John King will transport the network’s Magic Wall to a balcony inside the Newseum in order to illustrate traffic and hotspots around Washington. Also reporting from the Newseum, Campbell Brown will cover the day’s events and will moderate a panel with members of CNN’s Best Political Team on Television.

     

    The Inauguration of Barack Obama will continue with a special edition of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer on 21 January from 2.30 am to 5.30 am, which will include live coverage of the parade, as well as a recap of the day’s events. From 5.30 am to 10.30 am Campbell Brown and Anderson Cooper will continue live from Washington DC, with a special edition of Anderson Cooper 360? which will include live reporting from the 10 official inaugural balls. Larry King will then host a special edition of Larry King Live from the Washington, D.C. bureau from 10.30 am to 11.30 am.

  • CNN to air docs on the US presidential candidates Obama, McCain

    CNN to air docs on the US presidential candidates Obama, McCain

    MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN will examine the lives of the two men contending to be the 44th president of the US in two upcoming documentaries, launching CNN’s extensive political convention coverage. Both hour-long documentaries premiere the weekend before the candidates’ respective convention kicks off.

    Obama Revealed airs on 23 August at 11:30 am and 7:30 pm and on 24 August at 11:30 am. McCain – Beneath the Armor airs on 30 August at 11:30 am and 7:30 pm and on 31 August at 11:30 am.

    CNN International senior VP Katherine Green says, “The public rarely gets an opportunity to see presidential candidates away from the glare of the cameras, the crowds and the structured events. These documentaries offer a real insight into the lives of the candidates and those around them.”

    White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux looks at Senator Barack Obama in an hour-long report that premieres on CNN International on Saturday, 23 August . Malveaux has been covering extensively the Obama presidential campaign, including traveling to Hawaii, where she’ll report on the senator’s early years. She has interviewed the candidate, his wife and his sister.

    CNN’s chief national correspondent John King’s report on Senator John McCain premieres on 30 August. Reporting from Arizona, Washington, DC and Vietnam, King reveals McCain’s complexities and analyses the political challenges that lay before him in the most important campaign of his life.