Your Views on the News, October 30, 2010

CNN has switched the lineup for the weekend because of the mid-term elections on Tuesday. Take note you Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper fans the America Votes special is live both Saturday and Sunday evenings.

SATURDAY, October 30, 2010

BALLOT BOWL – Airs LIVE Saturday 1:00PM – 6:00PM

CNN will again provide live, unfiltered coverage of significant recent and live campaign events. Members of the Best Political Team on Television will report from events around the country to include Alaska, Nevada, Ohio, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.

AMERICA VOTES 2010 – Airs LIVE Saturday 6:00PM – 7:00PM and (replays) 10:00PM

Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer and anchor Anderson Cooper, along with the Best Political Team on Television, provide the latest news on the upcoming midterm elections.

WHAT THE WEEK –Airs Saturday 7:30PM – 8:00PM

Pete Dominick distills a week’s worth of news into a smart and fun wrap of everything you need to know.

BOILING POINT: inside the tea party – Airs Saturday 8:00PM – 9:00PM, 11:00PM

CNN’s Shannon Travis has followed the political movement proven to be the most energetic and provocative of this campaign season, the various groups that self-identify with the Tea Party movement. Reporting from California, to Delaware, to Alaska, to Florida and beyond, Travis interviewed conservative talk radio personality and former Tea Party Express chairman Mark Williams, former Alaska governor and Fox News contributor Sarah Palin, and Mary Rakovich, considered by some to be “the godmother” of the Tea Party movement – about their goals and the messages they want delivered to the corridors of power in Washington. http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/10/26/seg.boiling.point.alaska.cnn

restoring the american dream: a FAREED ZAKARIA GPS special - Airs Saturday 9:00PM – 10:00PM, 12:00AM

As the nation languishes in the Great Recession, CNN and TIME magazine’s Fareed Zakaria talks to four of the most creative and respected business leaders for their insights on what must be done to restore the America’s economic prosperity. Lou Gerstner, former chairman of the board & CEO for IBM Corporation; Muhtar Kent, chairman of the board & CEO for The Coca-Cola Company; Eric Schmidt, chairman of the board & CEO for Google, Inc.; and Klaus Kleinfeld, chairman & CEO for Alcoa, Inc. discuss how technology, globalization, and the recession brought about American’s unacceptable unemployment rate…and how America can leverage the keys to bringing good jobs back to America – education and innovation.

SUNDAY, October 31, 2010

SANJAY GUPTA, MD – Airs Sunday 7:30AM – 8:00AM

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta returns to Haiti as reports emerge of an outbreak of cholera in the already earthquake-ravaged nation. He interviews aid workers and local residents about how the disease is impacting the status of the recovery.

STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY – Airs LIVE Sunday 9:00AM – 10:00AM, NOON – 1:00PM

Topic: Tuesday’s Midterm Elections Preview: Republican Strategy

Guest: Michael Steele, RNC chairman

Topic: Tuesday’s Midterm Elections Preview: Democratic Strategy

Guest: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Majority Whip

Topic: What to Expect in Tuesday’s Midterm Elections
Guest: William Bennett, CNN political contributor; national talk radio host

Guest: Bob Kerrey (D), former U.S. Senator; former Nebraska Governor

Anchor: Candy Crowley, anchor and chief political correspondent

restoring the american dream: a FAREED ZAKARIA GPS special - Airs Sunday 3:00AM – 4:00AM, 5:00AM, 10:00AM, 1:00PM

As the nation languishes in the Great Recession, CNN and TIME magazine’s Fareed Zakaria talks to four of the most creative and respected business leaders for their insights on what must be done to restore the America’s economic prosperity. Lou Gerstner, former chairman of the board & CEO for IBM Corporation; Muhtar Kent, chairman of the board & CEO for The Coca-Cola Company; Eric Schmidt, chairman of the board & CEO for Google, Inc.; and Klaus Kleinfeld, chairman & CEO for Alcoa, Inc. discuss how technology, globalization, and the recession brought about American’s unacceptable unemployment rate…and how America can leverage the keys to bringing good jobs back to America – education and innovation.

RELIABLE SOURCES – Airs LIVE 11:00AM – NOON

Topic: Jon Stewart Rally

Guest: Arianna Huffington, co-founder, HuffingtonPost.com

Topic: Jon Stewart Rally

Guest: Paul Farhi, Washington Post

Guest: Michael Medved, Radio talk show host

Topic: Midterm Elections Become Media Game of Predictions

Guest: John Avlon, TheDailyBeast.com

Guest: Jim Geraghty, National Review

Guest: Julie Mason, Washington Examiner

Topic: Fox News; Tea Party; Media’s Take on President Obama

Guest: President Jimmy Carter

Host: Howard Kurtz

BALLOT BOWL – Airs LIVE Sunday 2:00PM – 5:00PM

CNN will again provide live, unfiltered coverage of significant recent and live campaign events. Members of the Best Political Team on Television will report from events around the country to include Alaska, Nevada, Ohio, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.

BOILING POINT: inside the tea party – Airs Sunday 2:00AM – 3:00AM, 8:00PM, 11:00PM

CNN’s Shannon Travis has followed the political movement proven to be the most energetic and provocative of this campaign season, the various groups that self-identify with the Tea Party movement. Reporting from California, to Delaware, to Alaska, to Florida and beyond, Travis interviewed conservative talk radio personality and former Tea Party Express chairman Mark Williams, former Alaska governor and Fox News contributor Sarah Palin, and Mary Rakovich, considered by some to be “the godmother” of the Tea Party movement – about their goals and the messages they want delivered to the corridors of power in Washington. http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/10/26/seg.boiling.point.alaska.cnn

AMERICA VOTES 2010 – Airs LIVE Sunday 9:00PM – 10:00PM and (replays) 12:00AM

Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer and anchor Anderson Cooper, along with the Best Political Team on Television, provide the latest news on the upcoming midterm elections.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 – ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA

SPECIAL COVERAGE: ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA – Tuesday beginning at 7:00PM

CNN’s Best Political Team will add new technology to its arsenal in order to better explain the complex story of the midterm elections as it unfolds on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, joined by Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King and Soledad O’Brien will headline Election Night in America, beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing into the following day. From Delaware to Nevada to Alaska, CNN will dispatch correspondents across the country to check in throughout the night and report on the crucial races impacting the balance of power in Congress.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

CNN Twosome Expecting

People Magazine is reporting that Kyra Phillips and John Roberts are about to become parents. The anchors are pleased to announce that they’re expecting twins next Spring.

CNN Newsroom‘s Phillips, 42, and Roberts, 53, a co-anchor on American Morning, were engaged in April.

Congratulations to the lucky couple!

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Ratings For The Week Of October 18th

1 - Special programming was aired on one night during the week.

Rating calculations are weekly averages based on nightly ratings provided by TVNewser with data by Nielsen Media Research. Numbers reflect Live and same day (DVR) data.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

CNN = Politics on Election Night & More

Network to Create Virtual Environment “CNN Election Matrix” to Visualize Vast Amounts of Election Data

CNN.com Equips Users to Follow up to 15 Races Simultaneously at www.cnn.com/MyElection

CNN’s Best Political Team will add new technology to its arsenal in order to better explain the complex story of the midterm elections as it unfolds on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, joined by Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King and Soledad O’Brien will headline Election Night in America, beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing into the following day. From Delaware to Nevada to Alaska, CNN will dispatch correspondents across the country to check in throughout the night and report on the crucial races impacting the balance of power in Congress.
The network will create a live and interactive environment, called the “CNN Election Matrix,” to break down data in a visual way. With this tool, King visually will whip through a comprehensive amount of information to better explain to viewers the most competitive House and Senate races. In an election filled with partisanship and strong anti-incumbent feelings, viewers will see the race through the lens of incumbencies: which incumbents have fallen, when they were elected, the nationwide impact and more. Additionally, the “CNN Election Matrix” will create a virtual representation of which party is gaining ground and potential shifts in the balance of power.
“We are taking capabilities of the Data Wall and quadrupling it in order to report the story in the clearest way we can,” said David Bohrman, senior vice president and Washington bureau chief. “Viewers are ready for a rich meal of election items and with CNN’s technology on air and online, paired with the Best Political Team, we will serve an unparalleled election night experience.”
Building on hologram technology unveiled during 2008’s Election Night in America, the network will create an entirely new way to display exit polling data using three-dimensional graphics. O’Brien will use virtual graphics that appear in the studio to actually show viewers not only how people voted, but also specifically what groups of people voted. The technology will allow viewers to see the real picture of voter turnout and how that could influence who controls Washington.
The “Data Wall,” which the network first used during 2008 election coverage, will return with a major upgrade. Once again, King will man the wall to drill into live county and state vote tallies and help put the election puzzle into place. Using Crimson Hexagon technology, CNN will be able to analyze, categorize and visualize the vast social media conversation happening on Twitter on Election Day. By listening in to what Americans are saying online, the network will create a geographic illustration that shows viewers the climate of the country and reaction to the results.
CNN will showcase the Best Political Team, including the diverse views of its political contributors, to report and analyze the political event. New hosts Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer will add their insight to the coverage. Senior political analysts Gloria Borger and David Gergen will join CNN correspondents in discussing the returns, including national political correspondent Jessica Yellin, who has spent months on the campaign trail, and senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash, who has delved into campaign finances and advertising. Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar; senior White House correspondent Ed Henry and White House correspondents Dan Lothian and Suzanne Malveaux also will add their insight. Political contributors span the ideological spectrum: John Avlon, Paul Begala, Bill Bennett, Donna Brazile, James Carville, Alex Castellanos, Erick Erickson, Roland Martin, Mary Matalin, Ed Rollins and Hilary Rosen.
On Election Night, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer will kickoff the network’s political-centric coverage beginning at 5 p.m., followed by Election Night in America at 7 p.m. The network will continue live coverage throughout the night and into early morning Wednesday, when American Morning begins at 3 a.m and continues until noon.
CNN also will introduce new election music from HBO’s award-winning series John Adams to help place the elections in the context of our nation’s history. The score will serve as the network’s theme music on all programs and platforms through the 2012 Presidential Election.
Stay tuned to CNN leading up to election night for sneak peeks at what to expect on Election Night in America. CNN will have election specials, titled Countdown to Election Night in America, on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 31 at 9 p.m.
Extending the reach of CNN’s Best Political Team far beyond television, CNN.com’s Election Center will be the premiere online destination for the midterm elections. Featuring the latest results on CNN.com’s homepage on Election Night, the Election Center will include real-time race results, graphics to show the shifting balance of power in the House and Senate, polls and a plethora of information to satisfy everyone from the political novice to the junkie. Online at www.cnn.com/MyElection, users will be able to follow up to 15 races and/or ballot measures as the results come in; as well as activate a module featuring results for the three races most important to them, which will “follow” users throughout the right rail of the Election Center.
Android, BlackBerry and iPhone or iPod touch users can also follow real-time election results on their mobile phone for House, Senate and gubernatorial races through the CNN Election Center App, available for free from Android Market, BlackBerry App Worldand the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch.
In the days leading up to November 2, CNN International will also offer extensive coverage of the U.S. midterm election across its signature programs including International Desk, Connect the World, BackStory and Political Mann, the weekly U.S.-focused political show hosted by Jonathan Mann. As the polls begin to close on Election Day, CNN International will simulcast CNN/US coverage to an audience around the world.
CNN en Español will offer rolling coverage of the U.S. midterm election starting at 6 a.m. Anchor Luis Carlos Vélez will offer exit poll results and updates on the balance of power throughout the day from our studios in Atlanta. Then, starting at 4 p.m., senior D.C. correspondent Juan Carlos López will offer reports and will be joined by analysts Roberto Izurieta and Helen Aguirre Ferre, and will later present results with senior anchor Patricia Janiot through 1 a.m.

All Times Eastern

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

CNN Heroes Update

Halle Berry, LL COOL J, Bon Jovi, Demi Moore, Eva Longoria Parker and Sugarland to Participate at “CNN Heroes: An All Star Tribute”

Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010 to be Honored in CNN Tribute Broadcast on Thanksgiving, November 25th. CNN announced performers and presenters who are slated to appear at the fourth annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, which honors everyday people changing the world. CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, will air on Thanksgiving, November 25th at 8pmET/5pm PT from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Celebrity presenters include: Halle Berry, Demi Moore, Eva Longoria Parker, LL COOL J, Renee Zellweger among others who have yet to be announced. Bon Jovi and Sugarland will perform at the gala.
Preceding the tribute broadcast will be a red carpet special Showbiz Tonight @ CNN Heroes, which will be simulcast on CNN and HLN at 7pm ET/4pm PT. Hosted by Showbiz Tonight's A.J. Hammer and Brooke Anderson, the special will feature exclusive coverage of celebrity arrivals and interviews, as well as a celebrity-hosted social media suite tapping into the worldwide, online passion and interest in the Heroes event.
The tribute show will honor all of the Top 10 CNN Heroes, currently listed at www.CNNHeroes.com, as well as the “CNN Hero of the Year.” Online voting for the “CNN Hero of the Year” is currently underway and concludes at 6am ET on November 18th. The Top 10 CNN Heroes will receive $25,000, and the CNN Hero of the Year will receive an additional $100,000.
This year’s Blue Ribbon Panel judges include: Muhammad Ali, Ela Bhatt, Sir Richard Branson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jack Dorsey, Hill Harper, Patricia Heaton, Yo Yo Ma, Ricky Martin, Apolo Anton Ohno, Holly Robinson Peete, Alek Wek and Rainn Wilson. Now in its fourth year, CNN Heroes is a multiplatform campaign that shines a spotlight on everyday people changing the world; in 2010, the campaign received over 10,000 submissions from more than 100 countries.
Award-winning producer/director Joel Gallen returns to executive produce the program. Kelly Flynn is senior executive producer for the CNN Heroes initiative.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Your Views on the News, October 23, 2010

Jon Stewart on Larry King Live this week was just too delicious not to clip and post. We know you have something to say that is equally as brilliant as Jon so here's the place and now is the time.

Stewart's take on Parker-Spitzer:

What did JS think of Piers Morgan replacing Larry:



Stewart's take on media in general and CNN in particular:



More talk about CNN and the firing of Rick Sanchez:



How Jon feels about pundits and Anderson Cooper:



If you would like to read the full transcript of the program here's the link.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Soledad O'Brien writes The Next Big Story

From Parade.com:
The O'Briens in 1967. Back: Edward, Orestes, Soledad, and Estela. Front: Cecelia, Maria, Tony and Estela

The racial slurs she heard as a child fueled journalist Soledad O'Brien's drive to succeed. Here's an excerpt adapted from her new book,The Next Big Story.

I'm 11. My sister Estela is 14. We're at a photo studio in Smithtown, N.Y., not that far from where we live. The photographer says, "Forgive me if I'm offending you, but are you black?" I turn the comment over in my head. I'm trying to figure out why these nice-sounding words make me feel small and embarrassed. Estela, light years ahead of me, starts to shred the guy. "Offend us? Offend us? By asking if we are black?" He's white, and we're two mixed-race girls trying to get our picture taken as an anniversary present for our parents. It's 1977. I'm this cheery, optimistic kid who suddenly feels quite sunk.

Forgive me if I'm offending you… What is that supposed to mean? I am black; I am also Latina, and half white through my Australian father. That isn't typical in Smithtown, but there is nothing wrong with me. I just don't understand how it could possibly be offensive to be black. This is the first time I remember feeling like I might be disliked for who I am. But Estela is totally on it. She gives me the universal body language for "We're taking a walk" and off we go.

Read more »

Ratings For The Week Of October 11th

1 - Ratings based on four nights of regular programming

Rating calculations are weekly averages based on nightly ratings provided by TVNewser with data by Nielsen Media Research. Numbers reflect Live and same day (DVR) data.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Lou Dobbs Takes on CNN (again)

In a recent interview with Julie Menin former CNN'er Lou Dobbs said his former workplace had a “badly damaged brand” and calling its nonpartisan credo “sheer folly. He spoke of his problems with management under the leadership of fired CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein, saying: “There set in, rapidly, for whatever reason, an atmosphere, a chilling atmosphere, about the application of critical judgment to the Obama administration, by management.”

Politico wrote "He seemed to revel in the professional fate of Klein, saying he hoped Ken Jautz was the man for the job and adding, “I feel absolutely vindicated by what’s happened to their ratings.”

To see the video of the interview just follow the link.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Black in America: Almighty Debt

ALMIGHTY DEBT: A BLACK IN AMERICA SPECIAL with Soledad O'Brien premiers on Thursday, October 21 at 9 PM ET.

Read more »

Your Views on the News, October 16, 2010

NEW YORK -- After watching its ratings sag in the aftermath of its wall-to-wall coverage of the Chilean miners' rescue, CNN today floated the idea of lowering the miners back into the mine in a bid to goose its Nielsen numbers.

"Like our viewers, we were riveted by the drama of the miners emerging from that mine," said recently installed CNN chief Ken Jautz. "We're willing to bet it would be just about as dramatic to see the miners lowered back into the mine one by one."

Of course Andy Borowitz was joking in his HuffPo column, but the only way CNN is going to have another week like the past is for the world to have another moment like the one in Chile. Where are CNN viewers when there isn't big news? Something to ponder and discuss.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Ratings For The Week of October 4th

1 - Based on four nights of regular programming

Rating calculations are weekly averages based on nightly ratings provided by TVNewser with data by Nielsen Media Research. Numbers reflect Live and same day (DVR) data.

We also received information on CNN's ratings for last night's live coverage of the Chilean Miners Rescue:

11:00 pm – when the first miner came to the surface – CNN outperformed FNC and MSNBC:

CNN – total viewers 3998k/demo 25-54 1422k
FNC – total viewers 3468k/demo 25-54 1046k
MSNBC – total viewers 1083k/demo 25-54 279k

In primetime (8-11 pm) CNN topped MSNBC:

CNN – total viewers 1947k/demo 25-54 551k
MSNBC – total viewers 1016k/demo 25-54 250k
(FNC – total viewers 3222k/demo 25-54 736k)

8:00 pm: Anderson Cooper kicked off CNN’s live breaking news coverage, topping MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

CNN – total viewers 1506k/demo 25-54 314k
MSNBC – total viewers 1019k/demo 25-54 230k
(FNC – total viewers 3492k/demo 25-54 804k)

9:00 pm: Larry King Live topped MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow

CNN – total viewers 1380k/demo 25-54 349k
MSNBC – total viewers 1052k/demo 25-54 269k
(FNC – total viewers 2997k/demo 25-54 617k)

10:00 pm: Anderson Cooper topped MSNBC:

CNN – total viewers 2955k/demo 25-54 991k
MSNBC – total viewers 976k/demo 25-54 252k
(FNC – total viewers 3179k/demo 25-54 787k)


CNN Digital:
-CNN.com served more than 3 million live video streams related to the story of the rescued Chilean miners over the past two days, a 2700% increase over the prior 4-week daily average. (Source: Omniture SiteCatalyst, Oct 12 & Oct. 13 through 3p ET, Live Video Video Starts, Domestic and International)
-Today, traffic to CNN.com from outside of the U.S. has nearly doubled a typical day with 7.4 million page views. (Source: Omniture SiteCatalyst, Oct. 13 thru 3p ET)
-Yesterday, CNN App downloads in the U.S. increased by more than 250% over the average.
-Since yesterday’s rescue efforts, on-demand video starts on CNN’s mobile website are up over 50% vs. same day average for the prior 4 weeks. (Source: Bango)
This Just In, CNN.com’s breaking news blog, registered 1.3 million page views on October 12 (a 123% increase over the prior 4-week daily average) and 2.6 million page views through the 3 p.m. hour today (a 345% increase over the 4-week average.) (Source: Omniture SiteCatalyst)

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.