August 9th, 2012

RAMON ESCOBAR JOINS CNN WORLDWIDE AS VICE PRESIDENT, TALENT RECRUITMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Lizzie Kerner Joins CNN as Director of Development, Based in Los Angeles

Ramon Escobar joins CNN Worldwide as vice president of talent recruitment and development, and Lizzie Kerner joins CNN as director of development, it was announced by Amy Entelis, senior vice president, talent and content development for CNN Worldwide. Escobar most recently held executive posts at Telemundo, and Kerner joins from Sundance Channel.

“Ramon brings with him a depth of news experience on both the domestic and international fronts in network, cable and local television. From his work at major media outlets that include Telemundo and MSNBC, Ramon has demonstrated his strength at overseeing programming and developing top-notch talent,” said Entelis, to whom he will report.

Kerner will be based in Los Angeles and will report to Vinnie Malhotra, senior vice president of development and acquisitions. “Lizzie has a keen eye for great storytelling and experience in developing quality programming, having honed her skills at Sundance Channel,” said Malhotra.

Escobar, who will be based in New York, joins CNN after several years at Telemundo, most recently as executive vice president of network news. In that position, he oversaw the entire network’s news division including all international news bureaus and the development of on-air talent. Prior to that, Escobar was vice president at Sucherman Consulting Group in New York where his clients included ABC News, Discovery Networks, BBC America and Telemundo. Previously at Telemundo, he ran the network’s entertainment division as senior executive vice president of entertainment (Sept. 2002-Dec.2006) and senior vice president, news & creative services, Telemundo Stations Group, based in Miami. Prior to that position, Escobar was vice president, responsible for all live news programming at sister network MSNBC (through March 2002.)

Kerner joins CNN from Sundance Channel where she served as manager of original programming & development. In this position, Kerner developed programs that include Push Girls, All on the Line with Joe Zee and Iconoclasts, and served as executive producer on the series The Mortified Sessions. Earlier, she held positions at the Independent Film Channel and Viacom Productions.

The newly-created Talent and Development department is overseen by Mark Whitaker, CNN Worldwide executive vice president and managing editor. Amy Entelis is the executive in charge of recruiting and developing talent, developing new programming and overseeing acquisitions strategy for CNN, HLN and other CNN platforms. Vinnie Malhotra oversees program acquisitions and development for CNN and HLN. Since its inception in January 2012, the department has announced the additions of world-renowned chef, author and television personality Anthony Bourdain as host of a weekend program on CNN beginning in 2013, veteran news correspondent John Berman as co-anchor of Early Start, and respected journalist Victor Blackwell, as co-host of CNN Newsroom Saturday morning.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively-syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television digital media.

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Contact: Christa Robinson Christa.robinson@turner.com 212-275-7995
Karen Reynolds Karen.reynolds@turner.com 212-275-8253