CNN Heroes......Campbell Brown EP Announced

Over the past year on many of the CNN and Headline News shows we have seen stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. These people are all heroes. Over the past year viewers have nominated people they consider to be heroes.
CNN Heroes culminates in a live global telecast December 6, hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper with Christiane Amanpour. This event honors the most outstanding viewer-nominated CNN Heroes as chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of world leaders and luminaries. Our salute to ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Voting in this category continues until Monday, November 12, 2007 (12 p.m. ET)The top vote-getter in each of the six CNN Hero categories will compete in an online vote starting Monday, November 12, with the winner honored at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute"!

Keep Voting!!!!!!

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Tonight Brian Williams, Tom Brokaw and Barbara Walters are teaming up tonight to honor a former co-worker. Joan Scarangello, who worked as a writer for NBC News and earlier for ABC News, died seven years ago this month. A lung cancer diagnosis came just nine months before Scarangello died. The 47-year-old never smoked.
Tonight's event at New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center will be a who's who of broadcasting: CNBC's Jonathan Wald, former ABC & NBC EP Ben Sherwood, CNN's David Doss and TV news medical correspondents Robert Bazell of NBC and Dr. Timothy Johnson of ABC.
In its five years, Joan's Legacy has funded $3.5 million in research grants for projects at the nation's top cancer centers

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CNN Names Mitch Semel as Producer for New Campbell Brown Program
Veteran Television and New Media Executive Signs On as Senior Executive Producer

Broadcast and media technology veteran Mitch Semel joins CNN as senior executive producer for CNN’s new prime time program anchored by Campbell Brown, it was announced today by CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein. Semel will be drawing upon more than 30-years of experience in broadcasting and new media as he leads the development and production of the new program which is slated to debut in early 2008 and will air weeknights at 8 p.m. (ET) on CNN.

Semel begins Monday, Nov. 12, and will be based at CNN’s New York bureau.
“Mitch’s breadth of experience and passion for news makes him the perfect choice for this position,” Klein said. “No matter the medium, he has always shown a knack for bringing edgy ideas into the mainstream and has helped nurture the kinds of thought-provoking, freewheeling and fun shows that are right up Campbell Brown’s alley.”

“I’m thrilled to be working with a journalist of Campbell ’s stature,” Semel said. “Her wide-ranging news experience and interviewing skills make her the ideal host to bring a fresh perspective on the day’s news to the 8 p.m. hour. I look forward to partnering with her to present a smart and engaging broadcast.”

Semel has worked in broadcast, cable, and public television, having overseen programming and produced prime-time and late-night shows for CBS, NBC, Nick@Nite, TVLand and Comedy Central. He served as the national head of programming for PBS and oversaw all news and public affairs programming in addition to all entertainment areas. He has been instrumental in the development of such groundbreaking shows as Politically Incorrect and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

Semel’s expansive career spans from entertainment television to helping design and launch a 24/7 worldwide TV network and Web site for U.S. military personnel. He also created a broadband video portal for the popular Veggie Tales animated children’s series and devised strategy for cell carrier Virgin Mobile’s push into advanced mobile screen content. Semel graduated cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Brown, who joined CNN in August, debuts on CNN next week as a panelist questioning presidential candidates in CNN’s Democratic debate in Las Vegas on Nov. 15. In addition, Brown will host the Broken Government special report “Campaign Killers” later this month. The documentary examines political mudslinging, the history of negative advertisements and the role of the Internet as a viral weapon in politics today.