CNN International anchor Becky Anderson is relocating from London to the UAE, in a move that will see her prime time show, Connect the World with Becky Anderson, anchored from CNN Abu Dhabi, the network’s Middle East broadcasting hub.
As part of the relocation, Connect the World will move to a new time slot and its format will evolve. Airing at 1900 GST from 6 April 2014, the show will form the backbone of the network’s prime time coverage in the Middle East, and strengthen CNN’s commitment to the region.
Becky Anderson said: “In many ways locating Connect the World in UAE is the perfect expression of the show’s philosophy. Geographically, culturally, and economically it is at the centre of so many important stories, and is an ever more significant global crossroads. As well as being an exceptionally dynamic place in itself, it is also an ideal location from which to access the rest of the Middle East and beyond.”
Alongside the familiar mix of news, insight and analysis of key stories, Connect the World will incorporate more stories from the region, and take advantage of its location at the meeting point between East and West. The programme will also take regular road trips, using Abu Dhabi as a stepping off point to explore a range of locations.
Anderson’s wealth of experience includes interviews with world leaders, Hollywood stars, and top CEOs. In addition to anchoring her prime time show, she has reported on a range of major news stories and events throughout her time at CNN.
Mike McCarthy, Senior Vice President of Programming at CNN International, said: “Becky brings fantastic knowledge and versatility to this important hub. Connect the World will remain focused on international news, but we want to take advantage of its new location to explore the stories that matter in the Middle East. The show will be fast-paced and multi-faceted, and will also take in business and cultural stories. It will debate and analyse the news, become a focal point for live reports, and continue to integrate social media into its format.”
Global Exchange, presented by CNN’s emerging markets editor John Defterios, becomes the daily branded business section within Connect the World, drawing on Defterios’ business expertise and regional knowledge to bring business to the fore.
McCarthy added: “Following on from the launch of the new CNN Arabic web site, and alongside our portfolio of programmes from the region, bringing Becky to UAE to join John underlines our commitment to this key part of the world.”
ENDS
About CNN in the Middle East
CNN is the leading international news brand in the Middle East (EMS Middle East June 2012). Its regional operations include the CNN Abu Dhabi bureau which opened in November 2009 and the CNNArabic.com website which launched in January 2002. Its programming remit from the region includes the feature shows ‘Inside the Middle East’ and ‘CNN Marketplace Middle East’ and the nightly ‘Global Exchange’ programme. CNN’s regional bureaux include Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Cairo, Istanbul and Jerusalem.
About Becky Anderson
Becky Anderson is one of CNN International’s highest profile anchors. A skilled interviewer, she is adept at close questioning and has interviewed many of the world’s leading politicians, decision-makers & thought-leaders. She has conducted one-on-one interviews with the likes of Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, South African President Jacob Zuma, ex Mexican President Felipe Calderon, UNHCR’s António Guterres and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
She is equally at home with celebrities, quizzing the world’s A-listers, including Sir Roger Moore, Juliette Binoche, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Andrew Lloyd-Weber, Slash, Beyoncé, George Clooney, Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt.
Anderson was the official CNN Olympic Games Correspondent in 2012 and also reported from the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations at Buckingham Palace. Becky also brings the BAFTAS to CNN viewers each year. Anderson is frequently deployed to report for CNN on breaking news stories. In 2011, she reported from Greece on the anti-austerity riots, Tunisia during the Arab uprisings, and she fronted CNN’s coverage of the pivotal G20 meeting in Cannes. More recently, she anchored from Ukraine during the Kiev uprising of 2014.
In 2011 she also hosted the network’s coverage of the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks from Ground Zero in New York. In 2010, Anderson hosted CNN’s coverage of the British elections. Her experience also includes anchoring coverage of the Israel-Lebanon conflict from Beirut in 2006. She also played a lead role in CNN’s extensive coverage of both the 7/7 attacks in London and, in 2003 she was part of CNN’s international team in the Gulf where she played a critical role in the network’s continuous coverage of the war in Iraq.
Becky has extensive business journalism experience including posts with the UK’s ITN, CNBC Europe and Bloomberg. She began her career in journalism as a print reporter with various business publications in Arizona, after gaining a Master of Mass Communication from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University in 1992 and in 2012 was inducted into their hall of fame. She gained her BA (Hons) in Economics at Sussex University in the UK. She was born in the UK.