Thursday, September 15, 2005
CNN, NBC to Open Bureaus in New Orleans
Source: Associated Press Anticipating that the Hurricane Katrina recovery will be a big story for months to come, both NBC and CNN said Thursday they are opening full-time news bureaus in New Orleans.
NBC News said its bureau will operate out of space at WDSU-TV, its local affiliate, and will help the network and MSNBC originate shows in the city. Brian Williams anchored the "NBC Nightly News" from there on Thursday in advance of President Bush's speech.
Frieda Morris, currently chief of NBC's Atlanta bureau who has been living out of a trailer in Biloxi, Miss., since the storm, will be in charge of the New Orleans bureau. NBC had no immediate details on how many people will staff the operation.
"This is not a flash in the pan," acting NBC News President Steve Capus said. "This is going to go into the next year."
CNN said it had obtained office space in downtown New Orleans and is moving equipment, journalists and a production crew there soon. It moved up its announcement by a day after NBC made its news.
"The story of the devastating wrath of Hurricane Katrina will unfold for years to come as the coast recovers and rebuilds," said CNN/US president Jonathan Klein. "CNN will be there to cover that story, and New Orleans will be a critical base of operations for us for a long time."
NBC News said its bureau will operate out of space at WDSU-TV, its local affiliate, and will help the network and MSNBC originate shows in the city. Brian Williams anchored the "NBC Nightly News" from there on Thursday in advance of President Bush's speech.
Frieda Morris, currently chief of NBC's Atlanta bureau who has been living out of a trailer in Biloxi, Miss., since the storm, will be in charge of the New Orleans bureau. NBC had no immediate details on how many people will staff the operation.
"This is not a flash in the pan," acting NBC News President Steve Capus said. "This is going to go into the next year."
CNN said it had obtained office space in downtown New Orleans and is moving equipment, journalists and a production crew there soon. It moved up its announcement by a day after NBC made its news.
"The story of the devastating wrath of Hurricane Katrina will unfold for years to come as the coast recovers and rebuilds," said CNN/US president Jonathan Klein. "CNN will be there to cover that story, and New Orleans will be a critical base of operations for us for a long time."
# posted by ATN @ 10:45 PM 
