Nominees to Appear on CNN Newsroom and Participate in First-Ever Awards Weekend

AMANPOUR debuts Monday, April 16, 3:00pm Eastern on CNN International

Christiane Amanpour will host a new daily foreign affairs program on CNN International that will launch on Monday, April 16, it was announced today.

Beginning with the program’s launch, the 30-minute daily broadcast of Amanpour, will air weeknights at 3:00pm, and replay at 5:00pm.  All times are Eastern.

“We are delighted to have Christiane back at CNN,” said Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director for CNN International.  “Christiane’s sophisticated, incisive journalism is needed now, more than ever to add context and depth to the world’s biggest news and stories,” Maddox said. FULL POST

CNN's Wolf Blitzer: "George Zimmerman’s legal team will be having a major news conference about the Trayvon Martin case in about 15 minutes or so. Initially we heard that George Zimmerman himself would be speaking there, that is now up in the air, looks like it will be his legal team. But stand by we’ll see if Zimmerman himself shows up for his first public statement. He issued something on a blog yesterday but let’s see if he actually shows up at this news conference. Right now it is unclear whether or not he will. We were led to believe he will. Maybe not necessarily. Stand by. We do know that his entire legal team will be showing up in Sanford, the Seminole County Courthouse, to make a major statement. We will have live coverage, coming up in about 15 minutes or so."

###

Anderson Cooper 360 Tops FNC and MSNBC at 10pm

According to Nielsen Fast National data, CNN's Arizona debate (8-10p, ET), moderated by John King delivered 4.7 million total viewers and 1.4 million in the key target demographic 25-54 last night Wednesday, February 22.

CNN was, by far, top rated during the 8-10p ET time period last night among the cable news networks in both total viewers and the key demo. CNN topped FNC among total viewers by 173% (4.7m vs. 1.7m) and MSNBC by 464% (4.7m vs. 839k). In the target demo CNN averaged 1.4m, topping FNC (381k) and MSNBC (174k) combined.

With post-debate analysis, Anderson Cooper 360 easily outperformed its cable news competition at 10p. AC360 topped FNC’s On the Record among total viewers by 35% (2.1m vs. 1.6m) and MSNBC’s Last Word by 106% (2.1m vs. 1.0m). In the target demo AC360 posted 740k, topping both FNC (344k) and MSNBC (213k) combined.

During the west coast primetime airing (8-10p, PT/11p-1a, ET replay) CNN had an additional 941k total viewers and 434k in the key demographic 25-54. KTVK (IND-Phoenix) averaged 119k P2+ and 55k P25-54 from 8p-10p ET during its simulcast of the CNN Arizona GOP Presidential Republican Debate.

CNN Digital

·         CNN.com recorded 3.5 million domestic page views during the 8 – 10 p.m. hours when the Arizona debate aired, up 17% over the prior 4-Wednesday average and up 1% over the average of the prior six CNN debates.

·         CNN.com overall received 4.7 million global video starts, representing a 58% increase over the prior 4 Wednesdays and a 29% increase over the other debates. Last night’s video performance ranked #2 among all CNN debates for this election cycle.

·         During debate, U.S. mobile page views hit 643.0 thousand, a 2% increase versus the prior 4 Wednesdays and up 2% compared to the average of the prior debates for the 2012 Election.

·         Interactions (likes/comments) on the CNN Politics Facebook fan page for this debate were up 18% from Florida Debate and up 12% from the 2011/2012 debate average.

·         #CNNDebate was the number #1 trending topic Worldwide for over an hour during CNN’s debate from the 8-10pm. Also trending during that time were John King, Erin Burnett and #AZdebate.

·         GetGlue check-ins were up 18% from the Florida Debate and up 25% from the 2011/2012 debates average.

### 

DRAWS 5.4 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS AND 1.7 MILLION IN KEY DEMO 25-54 

ALSO DRAWS AN ADDITIONAL 1.2 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS AND 562K IN THE DEMO DURING WEST COAST PRIMETIME

ANDERSON COOPER 360 TOPS THE COMPETITION AT 10P

CNN.com total day video highest of last five CNN debates

According to Nielsen Fast National data, CNN's Florida debate (8-10p, ET), moderated by Wolf Blitzer delivered 5.4 million total viewers and 1.7 million in the key target demographic 25-54 last night, Thursday, January 26.  This represents CNN's best debate yet this election cycle in the key demo and second best among total viewers (behind the Las Vegas GOP debate on 10/18).  Last night's debate ranked fourth among all primary debates so far this cycle in the key demo (including broadcast) and second among cable-only debates (behind only FNC's 12/15 debate).

CNN was, by far, top rated during the 8-10p, ET time period last night among the cable news networks in both total viewers and the key demo. CNN topped FNC among total viewers by 160% (5.4m vs. 2.1m) and MSNBC by 444% (5.4m vs. 985k).  In the target demo CNN topped FNC by 330% (1.7m vs. 405k) and MSNBC by 702% (1.7m vs. 217k).

During the west coast primetime airing (8-10p, PT/11p-1a, ET replay), CNN had an additional 1.2 million total viewers and 562k in the key demographic 25-54. 

With post-debate analysis, Anderson Cooper 360 easily outperformed its cable news competition at 10p.  AC360 topped FNC’s On the Record among total viewers by 30% (2.5m vs. 1.9m) and MSNBC’s Last Word by 130% (2.5m vs. 1.1m).  In the target demo AC360 topped FNC by 88% (895k vs. 477k) and MSNBC by 261% (895k vs. 248k). 

CNN Digital:

During last night’s CNN debate, CNN Digital’s stats include:

• CNN.com page views were up 37% over the previous 4-Thursdays and up 5% over the average of the prior five CNN debates with 3.7 million page views.   CNN.com page views for the day hit 46.8 million, up 6% over the average of the past five CNN debates.
• Video starts on CNN.com were also up 71% over the prior 4 Thursdays and 45% over the prior debates with 4.9 million.
• Mobile page views were up 6% during the debate.  In total, CNN Mobile had 6.1 million page views for the day.

(Source: Omniture SiteCatalyst Prior 4-Thursday average based on 12/22, 12/29, 1/5, 1/12. Prior debate dates include 6/13, 9/12, 10/18, 11/22, 1/19.)

(Source: Bango. Prior 4-Thursday average based on 12/22, 12/29, 1/5, 1/12. Prior debate dates include 6/13, 9/12, 10/18, 11/22, 1/19.  Note: International mobile site does not contain video.)

Users also interacted with CNN across social media.

 Facebook

• For last night’s Florida Republican debate there were 3 postings on the main CNN Facebook fanpage which generated 3,000 likes and comments.

Source: Facebook fan pages CNN 6/13/11, 9/12/11, 10/18/11, 11/22/11, 1/19/12 & 1/26/12; CNN Politics 9/12/11, 10/18/11, 11/22/11, 1/19/12 & 1/26/12

Twitter

• The CNNbrk account had 13 posts surrounding the debate which were retweeted 2,100 times.
• The hashtag #CNNDebate was a trending topic throughout the evening, ranking as high as #1 in the US and Worldwide throughout portions of the broadcast.
• Wolf Blitzer and Erin Burnett were also trending topics during last night’s debate coverage, with Wolf Blitzer ranking as high as #3 and Erin Burnett ranked #8 in US throughout the broadcast.

 Source: Twitter Analytics 6/13/11, 10/18/11, 11/22/11, 1/19/12 & 1/26/12

 GetGlue

• The CNN Florida Republican Debate had over 5,700 GetGlue check-ins and generated an estimated 1.3 million impressions across Facebook and Twitter.

Source: GetGlue 9/12, 10/18, 11/22, 1/19 & 1/26

###

CNN has named Amy Entelis to a newly created position of Senior Vice President, Talent and Content Development for CNN Worldwide, it was announced today by Mark Whitaker, CNN Worldwide Managing Editor.

Reporting directly to Whitaker, Entelis will be responsible for show development, including pilots and content acquisitions, and talent recruitment and strategy for all CNN networks and platforms including CNN, HLN and CNN International. Entelis will begin on January 17 and will be based in CNN’s New York offices.
FULL POST

Fresh Reimagined Site Emerges with Personalization, Social Features, Enhanced New Tools for Curators

     Five years since launching the first user-generated content news website, CNN Worldwide unveils a brand new iReport with social features and curation tools for iReporters and all news consumers.  With nearly a million registered contributors and submissions from every country on the globe, iReport has succeeded in bringing people together about news in their lives and their broader world. The redesign of the website unveils the new iReport as a platform for storytelling and participation.

      “We want to create a social network for news, one that connects people with the stories and sources,”  said Lila King, participation director for CNN Digital. “The new iReport invites people to participate in the reporting of stories that matter to them.”

Highlights of the new iReport:

Groups – iReporters can join communities and follow topics of interest to them like politics, food, photography, technology, as well as groups around some of CNN’s shows. iReporters can also get assignments based on their individual interests and connect with other contributors in ways that they couldn’t before.

All-new homepage – a visually stunning homepage which includes an activity feed of followed iReporters and the editorial staff at iReport. The homepage also provides an opportunity to participate in assignments related to topics and groups an iReporter has joined.

Profile page – a revamped profile page that is essentially a portfolio of each iReporter. The profile page includes a history of an iReporter’s participation on the site, as well as a feed of their latest activity. The new profile also includes measures of an iReporter’s reputation within the community, with stats like page views, the number of their stories vetted for CNN, how many followers they have and which badges they’ve earned.

New rich multi-media player – a 16×9 gorgeous rich HD media player that supports photos, videos and audio that matches the size and quality of the new dynamic CNN.com video experience.

Enhanced uploader – a simplified and shorter upload experience that allows simultaneous upload of photos, with the addition of location awareness and improved Facebook and Twitter integration.

Before the end of the year, iReport will roll out additional new features that will continue to strengthen iReport’s ability to partner and share beyond CNN and position iReport as a platform for participating in the news.

CONTACT:

April Andrews                april.andrews@cnn.com                 404-878-5017            @aprilCNNPR

Concluding a dedicated week of CNN International programming on Italian Renaissance artist, Leonardo da Vinci, a half-hour special ‘Leonardo – The Lost Painting’ charts the amazing discovery of a newly-found Da Vinci painting.

Earlier this year the art world made an extremely rare discovery: a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Experts believe only 15 paintings by the artist still exist, including the iconic ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper’. The newly-discovered work – known as 'Salvator Mundi ' or ‘Saviour of the World’ – depicts the head and shoulders of Christ, and though 500 years old, after cleaning and restoration, is in remarkably good condition.

CNN has gained rare access to this globally-significant find, as arts expert Nick Glass travels to New York and becomes one of the first few people on earth to see the painting first-hand.  Nick meets Robert Simon, an old masters dealer acting on behalf of the painting’s owners and talks to Dianne Modestini, the restorer who brought the painting back to its original state.

ALSO IN THE PROGRAMME:

• Nick heads toFlorenceto learn more about the life and work of this ultimate Renaissance man. Further interviews with world-renowned Leonardo experts give a fascinating insight into his contributions to science and medicine.
• Nick returns to London and the National Gallery where the ‘Salvator Mundi’ will be included in a once-in-a lifetime ‘Leonardo Show’ at the National Gallery, open to the public from 9 November – February 2012, the first time the painting will have shared space with other ‘Leonardos’ for hundreds of years.

Will another painting like this ever be discovered? And is the adjective ‘priceless’, in this instance, accurate?

‘Leonardo – The Lost Painting’ attempts to answer these questions as well as telling the story of the most talked about piece of art unveiled this century.

Full air times:

CNN, in partnership with The Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute, will host a Republican presidential debate on Tuesday, November 15 at 8 p.m. ET. Candidates will have an opportunity to weigh in on two of the most critical subjects they will face during their bid for the Republican presidential nomination: national security and foreign policy.

The national security debate, which will take place in Washington, D.C., will air nationally on CNN, CNN en Español, and worldwide on CNN International, CNN Radio and CNN.com.
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 and the digital media.

-30-

CNN iReport, the network's global participatory news community, announced a partnership with Social Media Week, a unique, week-long global conference that takes place in 12 cities simultaneously between September 19-23rd. iReport and Social Media Week have teamed up to create a joint co-branded assignment that allows citizen journalists around the world to create and share stories regarding how social media is impacting people's lives. Through the assignment, iReporters will be able to interact with each other to tell a story and to upload photos and videos of the events and happenings of Social Media Week in real-time.

Reflecting the global impact of social media – and its role as a catalyst in driving economic, cultural, political and social change – Social Media Week is one of the world's most unique global platforms, offering a series of interconnected activities and conversations around the world on emerging trends in social and mobile media across all major industries. Social Media Week goes beyond just providing content and engages with top brands and companies. Through these partnerships and with the help of advisors and boards, Social Media Week cultivates top quality content, free and open to anyone who wants to participate. Those who are unable to attend in person can follow the action and join the conversation online.

iReporters from all over the world come to CNN.com and an array of CNN's mobile platforms everyday to share photos, video, audio and stories they deem newsworthy. The iReport community has more than 900,000 registered contributors, who are extremely passionate about the news. The iReport/Social Media Week assignment found at http://cnnireport.com/SMW, will ask iReporters to share how social media is affecting and shaping their lives, their jobs and their communities. Additionally, the assignment will ask iReporters to share how social media is changing their political actions and their entertainment choices and the way that they receive their news.

"CNN iReport is thrilled to be partnering with Social Media Week," said Lila King, participation director for CNN Digital. "This global event is a perfect opportunity to connect iReporters across the world and invite them to share their personal stories on how social media has changed so many lives."

"Social media is redefining our world in so many ways – everything from entertainment to the way we consume news, and CNN's iReport is the perfect example of this," said Toby Daniels, founder of Social Media Week and CEO of Crowdcentric. "CNN's iReport platform has shown us that there is a huge demand for reliable and trustworthy citizen journalism, and that's why it's the ideal partner for Social Media Week."

CNN iReport is CNN's global participatory news community. iReporters are given the opportunity to form communities around shared interests and engage in impassioned discussions. iReport represents the best of both a user-generated content and a social networking site. CNN iReporters may gain additional recognition for their content by having that material, once vetted and approved for use, appear on a CNN platform (CNN television network or a CNN Digital property). iReports are vetted for CNN with the same journalistic and editorial standards as any other kinds of footage from CNN staff, affiliates, stringers, story subjects and other parties. To learn more, visit www.ireport.cnn.com.

Social Media Week launched in February 2009, in New York City, Social Media Week's presence has rapidly grown from one city to 21 cities across the globe, with this year's 5th biannual event taking place simultaneously in Los Angeles, Chicago, Milan, Berlin, Glasgow, Vancouver, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Beirut and Moscow. The last Social Media Week in February drew over 30,000 registered participants to live events and 300,000 connecting to the experience online.  The upcoming conference will be the biggest to date and is expected to draw thousands of participants from across the globe. To learn more, visit www.socialmediaweek.org.