Saturday, December 17, 2005
Ted Turner Feels CNN is Still Good
Source: Indian Television Asked by a young guy on a chilly December Thursday evening what was the secret of making money and leading a good life, pat came the reply: “Early to bed, early to rise and work like hell. And, don’t forget to advertise (your product).”
That’s media visionary, philanthropist and statesman Ted Turner for you. In Delhi on his second only visit to India, Turner seems to be having fun as he divides time amongst various engagements over the last two days.
He hasn’t lost any of his trademark aggressiveness, nor his sense of humour. “I am slightly hard of hearing and didn’t hear him for most part,” he jokingly side-stepped when quizzed on some observations made by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen earlier in the evening at a lecture on `Democracy and Its Critics’, organized by an agency of United Nations here.
His humour intact, what he might have lost is a few billions of dollars (when the share price of the then AOL Time Warner headed south on various allegations leveled at the share markets in the US). But enriching the monetary loss is a sense of purpose that is being directed towards making this globe a better place to live in.
Though the sale of Turner Broadcasting (owners of CNN and Cartoon Network amongst a host of other media properties) to Time Warner in 1996 was termed by him as the "biggest mistake of my life," Ted still holds a candle for CNN.
Initially, he tried avoiding a direct reply to Indiantelevision.com, saying, “It’s not fair to ask me…I have been associated with it for so long; you judge,” but relented to add: “It’s (CNN) still so pretty good.”
The poser to him was: does he feel that CNN, which he had started and nurtured so lovingly in 1980s, still lives up to the ideals of its founder?
That’s media visionary, philanthropist and statesman Ted Turner for you. In Delhi on his second only visit to India, Turner seems to be having fun as he divides time amongst various engagements over the last two days.
He hasn’t lost any of his trademark aggressiveness, nor his sense of humour. “I am slightly hard of hearing and didn’t hear him for most part,” he jokingly side-stepped when quizzed on some observations made by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen earlier in the evening at a lecture on `Democracy and Its Critics’, organized by an agency of United Nations here.
His humour intact, what he might have lost is a few billions of dollars (when the share price of the then AOL Time Warner headed south on various allegations leveled at the share markets in the US). But enriching the monetary loss is a sense of purpose that is being directed towards making this globe a better place to live in.
Though the sale of Turner Broadcasting (owners of CNN and Cartoon Network amongst a host of other media properties) to Time Warner in 1996 was termed by him as the "biggest mistake of my life," Ted still holds a candle for CNN.
Initially, he tried avoiding a direct reply to Indiantelevision.com, saying, “It’s not fair to ask me…I have been associated with it for so long; you judge,” but relented to add: “It’s (CNN) still so pretty good.”
The poser to him was: does he feel that CNN, which he had started and nurtured so lovingly in 1980s, still lives up to the ideals of its founder?
# posted by ATN @ 7:17 PM 
Friday, December 16, 2005
Novak Out at CNN
“After 25 years of serving as a CNN commentator and program host, our colleague Bob Novak's tenure on the network will come to a close (effective 12/31).
Through the years, Bob has offered incisive analysis for much of CNN’s programming, including Crossfire, The Capital Gang, Inside Politics, Evans and Novak, The Novak Zone, and Novak, Hunt and Shields. Bob has also been a valued contributor to CNN’s political coverage. We appreciate his many contributions and wish him well in future endeavors."
Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S.
Through the years, Bob has offered incisive analysis for much of CNN’s programming, including Crossfire, The Capital Gang, Inside Politics, Evans and Novak, The Novak Zone, and Novak, Hunt and Shields. Bob has also been a valued contributor to CNN’s political coverage. We appreciate his many contributions and wish him well in future endeavors."
Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S.
# posted by ATN @ 5:08 PM
Thursday, December 15, 2005
CNN Earns Prestigious duPont Award for Tsunami Coverage
Source: CNN Press Room CNN received an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award for its distinguishing coverage of the South Asia tsunami disaster, it was announced by Columbia University on Wednesday, Dec. 14. The judges cited CNN for its ability to provide in-depth reports about a major natural disaster while under considerable deadline and logistical pressures.
“We are thrilled that the duPont panelists determined that our coverage of the tsunami disaster merited their prestigious award,” said Jim Walton, president of CNN. “We certainly believe that our reports were nothing short of extraordinary in their scope, effectiveness and reach. Because of the cooperation among CNN/U.S., CNN International and our other networks, our journalists were empowered to go far beyond basic reporting to tell the full story of the disaster.”
In a demonstration as the leading international news network, CNN offered unprecedented round-the-clock coverage of the disaster, having deployed to the region more than 80 of its top anchors, correspondents and producers as well as state-of-the-art broadcasting technology including two satellite dishes. As a result, CNN’s reports came from all coasts of the Indian Ocean.
Within days of the tsunami hitting coastlines, CNN aired in-depth prime-time specials titled “Turning the Tide” and a heart-rending documentary “Saving the Children,” anchored by Christiane Amanpour and Anderson Cooper. CNN.com featured timely and in-depth reports and provided a survivor locator service that reunited more than 100 families and friends.
CNN’s 10th duPont Award was among 13 chosen from a pool of 628 radio and television news entries that aired in the United States between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005. The winners will be presented with silver batons, the symbol for excellence in television and radio journalism, at an awards ceremony on Jan.18, 2006, at Columbia University.
“We are thrilled that the duPont panelists determined that our coverage of the tsunami disaster merited their prestigious award,” said Jim Walton, president of CNN. “We certainly believe that our reports were nothing short of extraordinary in their scope, effectiveness and reach. Because of the cooperation among CNN/U.S., CNN International and our other networks, our journalists were empowered to go far beyond basic reporting to tell the full story of the disaster.”
In a demonstration as the leading international news network, CNN offered unprecedented round-the-clock coverage of the disaster, having deployed to the region more than 80 of its top anchors, correspondents and producers as well as state-of-the-art broadcasting technology including two satellite dishes. As a result, CNN’s reports came from all coasts of the Indian Ocean.
Within days of the tsunami hitting coastlines, CNN aired in-depth prime-time specials titled “Turning the Tide” and a heart-rending documentary “Saving the Children,” anchored by Christiane Amanpour and Anderson Cooper. CNN.com featured timely and in-depth reports and provided a survivor locator service that reunited more than 100 families and friends.
CNN’s 10th duPont Award was among 13 chosen from a pool of 628 radio and television news entries that aired in the United States between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005. The winners will be presented with silver batons, the symbol for excellence in television and radio journalism, at an awards ceremony on Jan.18, 2006, at Columbia University.
# posted by ATN @ 3:49 PM
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Iraq Votes, CNN is LIVE
The polls are now open in Iraq as its citizens go to the polls in the first permanant elections. CNN is LIVE with Anderson Cooper broadcasting LIVE from a polling place. How is the so called 'number one name in news' covering the event? With a REPEAT of The O'reilly Factor, FNC is covering the NEWS with only a FOX NEWS ALERT banner ? Hmmm.....I guess a repeat of the 'number one cable news program' can't be interrupted for NEWS now can it?
11:05PM Eastern WOW, Nic Robertson was on the air LIVE broadcasting from Ramadi when a BIG explosion occurred. Nic interrupted the report to take cover. Take note, it was reported LIVE on CNN FIRST!
11:05PM Eastern WOW, Nic Robertson was on the air LIVE broadcasting from Ramadi when a BIG explosion occurred. Nic interrupted the report to take cover. Take note, it was reported LIVE on CNN FIRST!
# posted by ATN @ 11:01 PM
CNN Host Gets Restraining Order Against Psych Patient
Source: Associated Press CNN talk show host Nancy Grace has obtained a court order that directs a mental patient she accused of stalking her to leave her alone.Grace's court papers allege that Joseph Raymond Loegering has harassed and stalked her by e-mail and by phone and by trying to get into the television network's headquarters.
Grace got the temporary restraining order Wednesday, a day after she filed a request for a permanent injunction against Loegering.
According to court papers, Loegering has been confined in a Manhattan hospital's psychiatric ward since Dec. 2.
A spokeswoman for Grace issued a statement Wednesday confirming the temporary restraining order was sought and was granted, but she had no further comment.
There are no known criminal charges pending against Loegering.
# posted by ATN @ 10:45 PM
Monday, December 12, 2005
No Shows For CNN Pipeline
ZD Net interviewed David Payne, senior vice president of CNN News Services and general manager of CNN.com, about the new product which debuted a week or so ago. Payne tells ZD Net says subscribers will never see programs created exspecially for Pipeline: ""We think that showing shows, creating specific programming, is not the right approach. Consumers are pretty loud and clear about that to us," Payne said. "Our goal is to let the news take you to wherever it goes, and we're going to go along with it. I don't anticipate creating shows or linear programming.""Read the complete article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 10:23 PM
CNN Animated
The animated CNN bug has returned to CNN. CNN used this bug for quite awhile before the graphics over-haul a while back. I always thought it was cool and glad to see it back.
# posted by ATN @ 8:26 AM
Sunday, December 11, 2005
CNN, Fox News Double Up on Chicago Report; Breaking News Good for AC's #'s
Source: Chicago Tribune For a little while Thursday night, as snow swirled around the accident scene at Chicago's Midway Airport, the most important man in all of cable TV news was none other than WFLD-Ch. 32 reporter Dane Placko.
Placko, between live on-scene dispatches for Channel 32, was wrapping up an interview with an area resident as part of a report especially for Fox News Channel host Greta Van Susteren around 9:40 p.m. when CNN's Anderson Cooper also cut to him.
"I heard Greta in my ear. I was having a conversation with her, but obviously Anderson Cooper was listening in as well," Placko said Friday.
"I was on quite a while with her. It seemed to go fairly well and, as we were wrapping up, I heard [another] voice in my ear--the [Fox] producer in New York, I believe--say, `Oh, by the way, you were also on CNN.' I'm thinking to myself: `Wait a minute. I'm talking to Greta. How can I be on CNN at the same time?'"
The reason is CNN has an affiliate agreement with WFLD, a Fox-owned station, as it does with several other Chicago TV outlets. So it can run material from WFLD, just as archrival Fox News Channel can. But if a reporter is talking directly to one network, it's customary for the other to back off.
"Typically you wouldn't want to show Dane Placko speaking to another network," said David Rhodes, Fox News Channel's director of newsgathering. "You'd wait until that's done and your desk would traffic with WFLD, `OK, can we have Dane when Fox is done with him?' Well, they obviously couldn't wait.
"Dane had something good that he was giving to Greta, so they just took it," Rhodes said. "And that's how you end up in a position where Cooper is showing Dane talking to Greta. The good part of it is Dane Placko is such a star, he's on two channels at once."
The poaching was "unintentional," a CNN spokeswoman said. The network said it looked as though he was just interviewing an eyewitness.
"That's what I would say," Rhodes said. "I would be, `Uh, yeah, we didn't know,' and `It was breaking news.' Those are all my stock answers. You call me back next week if we make a mistake and I'll say the same thing. But how could you not know?"
Copying Fox News Channel has its benefits. While Cooper normally gets clobbered by CNN alumna Van Susteren--since launching in the first week of November, on average, he trails Van Susteren by nearly 1 million viewers in the 9 p.m. hour--the gap Thursday was far smaller, a little more than 400,000.
Placko, between live on-scene dispatches for Channel 32, was wrapping up an interview with an area resident as part of a report especially for Fox News Channel host Greta Van Susteren around 9:40 p.m. when CNN's Anderson Cooper also cut to him.
"I heard Greta in my ear. I was having a conversation with her, but obviously Anderson Cooper was listening in as well," Placko said Friday.
"I was on quite a while with her. It seemed to go fairly well and, as we were wrapping up, I heard [another] voice in my ear--the [Fox] producer in New York, I believe--say, `Oh, by the way, you were also on CNN.' I'm thinking to myself: `Wait a minute. I'm talking to Greta. How can I be on CNN at the same time?'"
The reason is CNN has an affiliate agreement with WFLD, a Fox-owned station, as it does with several other Chicago TV outlets. So it can run material from WFLD, just as archrival Fox News Channel can. But if a reporter is talking directly to one network, it's customary for the other to back off.
"Typically you wouldn't want to show Dane Placko speaking to another network," said David Rhodes, Fox News Channel's director of newsgathering. "You'd wait until that's done and your desk would traffic with WFLD, `OK, can we have Dane when Fox is done with him?' Well, they obviously couldn't wait.
"Dane had something good that he was giving to Greta, so they just took it," Rhodes said. "And that's how you end up in a position where Cooper is showing Dane talking to Greta. The good part of it is Dane Placko is such a star, he's on two channels at once."
The poaching was "unintentional," a CNN spokeswoman said. The network said it looked as though he was just interviewing an eyewitness.
"That's what I would say," Rhodes said. "I would be, `Uh, yeah, we didn't know,' and `It was breaking news.' Those are all my stock answers. You call me back next week if we make a mistake and I'll say the same thing. But how could you not know?"
Copying Fox News Channel has its benefits. While Cooper normally gets clobbered by CNN alumna Van Susteren--since launching in the first week of November, on average, he trails Van Susteren by nearly 1 million viewers in the 9 p.m. hour--the gap Thursday was far smaller, a little more than 400,000.
# posted by ATN @ 8:18 PM
