This Weekend's Programming 9/29/12

SATURDAY, September 29, 2012

SANJAY GUPTA, MD – Airs Saturday 4:30PM – 5:00PM

This week on Sanjay Gupta MD, with the first Presidential debate coming up next week, Sanjay looks at the facts behind both candidates health care plans and zeroes in on what's at stake. Also, MD Anderson announced a plan to radically reduce the number of deaths from cancer over the next few years. They call it their “moonshot” program. One of their big targets is melanoma and Sanjay will share Part 2 of his exclusive access to the largest cancer center in the world.

THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER – Airs Saturday 6:00PM – 7:00PM

Topic:  Politics

Guest: Ron Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst; editorial director, National Journal

Topic:  Iraq

Guest: Michael Gordon, chief military correspondent, The New York Times

 Anchor: Wolf Blitzer

 8:00pm – 9:00pm Global Lessons: Putting America to Work

11:00pm – 12:00am Global Lessons: Putting America to Work

SUNDAY, September 30, 2012

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

This week on Sanjay Gupta MD, with the first Presidential debate coming up next week, Sanjay looks at the facts behind both candidates health care plans and zeroes in on what's at stake. Also, MD Anderson announced a plan to radically reduce the number of deaths from cancer over the next few years. They call it their “moonshot” program. One of their big targets is melanoma and Sanjay will share Part 2 of his exclusive access to the largest cancer center in the world.

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

Topics:   Campaign 2012; Debate Preparation; Libya; Iran

Guest:    Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), former presidential candidate

Topics:   Campaign 2012 politics; Debate Preparation; Swing State Strategy; Obama’s promises

Guest:    David Axelrod, senior adviser, Obama Campaign

Topics:  Managing Debate Expectations; voter enthusiasm; campaign messaging

Guests: Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

             Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-MD) chair; Democratic Governors Association

Topics:  Political Panel: Ad strategy; Early Voting

Guests: Dana Bash, CNN senior congressional correspondent

            Alex Castellanos, Republican consultant; CNN political contributor

            Celinda Lake, Democratic strategist

Anchor:  Candy Crowley

FAREED ZAKARIA GPS – Airs 10:00AM – 11:00AM and 1:00PM – 2:00PM  

Topics:    Does Iran worry about being attacked?  How would Iran respond to an attack?  Why isn’t Iran acting to end the violence in Syria?  Are sanctions hurting Iran?  What will President Ahmadinejad miss about New York?

Guest:     Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Topics:    Are the ads attacking Bain Capital fair?  Did/does Bain Capital send American jobs overseas?  Is taxation on private equity executives fair?  What kind of leader is/was Mitt Romney?

Guest:     Stephen Pagliuca, private equity investor, managing partner of Bain Capital, and co-owner of the Boston Celtics

Anchor:    Fareed Zakaria

RELIABLE SOURCES – Airs LIVE Sunday 11AM - NOON

Topics:    Campaign 2012: Conservative Pundits on Poll Numbers, Entertainment TV

Guest:     Ana Marie Cox, political correspondent, GQ

Guest:     Ramesh Ponnuru, senior editor, The National Review

Guest:     Chrystia Freeland, editor, Thomson Reuters Digital

Topics:    Political Impersonations and Public Image of a Candidate

Guest:     Darrell Hammond, actor and comedian

Topics:     Media Coverage of the NFL Strike

Guest:     Gregg Doyel, CBS Sports

Host:       Howard Kurtz

THE NEXT LIST –  Sunday 2:00PM – 2:30PM

This week The Next List profiles Susanne Heisse, the founder of Pura Vida, a movement for alternative trash management in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Her innovation: the eco-brick.  In its simplest form, the eco-brick is a plastic bottle stuffed with inorganic trash. Stuffed to capacity, these bottles are of sufficient integrity to be used as building blocks for homes and schools throughout Central America. With the help of the Peace Corps and charities like Hug It Forward, this deceptively simple building innovation is now spreading throughout the world.

8:00pm – 9:00pm Secrets of the Belfast Project

11:00pm – 12:00am Secrets of the Belfast Project

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

Weatherman Rob Marciano

From September's Men's Journal:

CNN's Rob Marciano, the Storm King

By Adam Fisher 

Most weathermen stand in front of a green screen pointing at cartoon suns. Not Rob Marciano. He's the guy standing on shore while palm trees blow sideways during a hurricane. An award-winning reporter, Marciano thrives in the field, talking with storm victims and putting human faces to disasters. "It's a more multifaceted experience than people imagine," the 44-year-old says. "In a studio, you get disconnected and forget what the weather actually feels like, how it's affecting people's lives."
What's the craziest weather event you've seen while reporting?
Hurricane Katrina. I was in Biloxi, Mississippi, right on the eyewall, when it came ashore in Florida. The hotel where we were based was being torn apart by the winds. Eventually, we had to find other shelter. Obviously, that pales in comparison to what happened when it hit New Orleans. I remember seeing the satellite picture on TV when I landed there – it was a monster. I still get chills thinking about it.
You've covered wildfires out West, too.
On TV, all you see is flames crawling up a tree. But when you're near it, that heat is hard to describe. It's like walking into a glassblowing shop – if you get close to that furnace, you're thrown back. Imagine that, tenfold. Cast iron and glass melt on the road.
Over your nine years on CNN, you've done a lot of adventurous segments unrelated to weather – jumping out of airplanes, driving race cars. Why?
I'll do just about anything. When they're like, "Who's willing to do this?" someone always says, "Rob will." I like to bring the viewer into an experience – I want them to feel what I feel.
You're also a dedicated storm chaser. Ever gotten close?
This spring, I finally had success. I was on a single-lane dirt road in Oklahoma, doing 70 in a rented Chevy Impala with a seasoned storm chaser in the back. All of a sudden, he starts screaming: "Oh, yeah, there it is, baby! We're gonna see a massive tornado today!" We raced to meet it on a diagonal, and as we got closer, the funnel started to lower. That's where my heart dropped. I hit the brakes, pulled over, and the funnel dropped. We jumped out and just started taking it all in. Then a second tornado formed to the east. It was unreal. We were going bananas, jumping around like little kids. It was the thrill of a lifetime.
Why did you decide to go into meteorology?
Growing up in Connecticut, I knew if it snowed, they'd cancel school, and I wouldn't have to do my homework. So I'd watch every weather person in the market. That's how I got into the science. But what kid doesn't love snowstorms? I can remember lying in the snow, watching clouds move and snowflakes come down, and being enthralled by nature. By eighth grade, it dawned on me that was what I wanted to do.
Two winters ago, the East Coast was buried in snow. Last year, the West Coast stayed dry through ski season. Is this the effect of global warming?
We're starting to see the weather get more extreme, but we can't pin it on climate change yet. We do know that when the globe warms, the poles warm the most. That makes for less of a temperature difference between the equator and the poles, which creates a weaker jet stream. That, in turn, means we get stuck in weather patterns.
Is the weather going to get more extreme every year?
That's beyond my pay grade: I'm a meteorologist, not a climatologist. Climate is what you expect to get; weather is what you actually get. But my colleagues and I are seeing earlier spring, earlier snowmelt, and tornadoes farther north and earlier in the season.
Where do you stand personally in the global warming argument?
The science says the world is warming. And it's done so at such an accelerated rate in the Industrial Age, there's no denying man has had something to do with it. The question is, how much? The Earth's ecosystem is very complex, and there are no easy answers. That's the fascinating and, at the same time, scary part.
Do you have an obligation to sound the alarm about climate change?
This is something weathermen struggle with all the time. The consensus is that we need to present the facts as we know them and point viewers in the direction the science is heading. But as an environmentalist and an outdoorsman, I implore people to recycle and decrease their carbon footprint.
Right after college, you worked on Wall Street. Ever tempted to go back and trade weather futures?
That certainly would be putting my money where my mouth is, right? I like to think I'm doing the public a greater good by telling people what their kids should wear to school. That's a safer bet.

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CNN Crisis Call: TW Eyes Big Guns To Revive Network

From today's NEW YORK POST: 

CNN crisis call: Time Warner eyes big guns to revive network

By CLAIRE ATKINSON
Time Warner execs have reached out to media heavyweights, including Sony Chairman Howard Stringer, as they cast about for a new chief to revive the moribund cable news network, The Post has learned.
Phil Kent, who runs the Turner Broadcasting division of Time Warner, and his boss, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, are taking their time replacing outgoing CNN chief Jim Walton, whose contract expires at the end of the year.
Walton confirmed his exit in July after the once-dominant cable news network slumped to its lowest ratings in nearly two decades, saying the network was in need of “fresh thinking.”
Kent has been meeting secretly with potential candidates and is under pressure to come up with a leader who can breathe new life into CNN, which critics have attacked as deadly dull.
While its primetime US ratings, in particular, barely register a pulse, the global network remains a cash cow for the company.
“It’s a hard job to fill,” said one source familiar with the search. “You’d like to have somebody with cable news experience, operations, editorial and business news skills.”
Stringer is a former news chief who rose through the corporate ranks to take the helm of Japanese media and electronics giant Sony. He led CBS News for two years and then the network before joining Sony in 1997.
Stringer stepped down as Sony’s CEO in the spring but stayed on as chairman. His office declined to comment.
Sources said Time Warner will likely look at other broadcast-news chiefs including Neal Shapiro, who led NBC News, and David Westin, the former president of ABC News.
Former NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker is on the consideration list as well, said sources familiar with the search.
“We should know something in a month, perhaps before the elections,” said one CNN insider. “Unlike CNN International, we just don’t have someone with a mission.
“We need our Roger Ailes,” the source said, referring to the chief of Fox News, which toppled ratings leader CNN years ago and has since widened its lead.
Time Warner execs are also getting help internally. Sources say HBO boss Richard Plepler is playing a key role in advising Bewkes.
Bewkes, speaking at a Goldman Sachs conference last week, said CNN was in the process of being “reinvigorated.” “I know we’ve said it before,” he said. “We’re really working hard at it.”
The search for a new chief comes at a critical time, as Time Warner is entering talks with distributors to renew carriage deals for its portfolio of cable channels including TNT, TBS, CNN and HLN.
In the third quarter, which included both the Olympics and the September political conventions, CNN saw a 14 percent decline among viewers ages 25 to 54 years old, its key audience for advertisers.
By comparison, MSNBC recorded a 10 percent uptick, while Fox News fell 13 percent. (News Corp. owns Fox and The Post.)


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Ratings for the Week of September 17 - 21, 2012

* Denotes special programming on one or more nights

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's Crosses the Line?

On Wednesday night Anderson Cooper announced 360 had obtained exclusive information about the climate that lead up to Ambassador Chris Steven's death in Benghazi. Little did viewers know at the time that the source was the deceased Ambassador's own journal. Here's the video from Wednesday's AC360:

Anderson Cooper addressed CNN's use of Ambassador Steven's private journal, found in the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, as a source for their news stories on Friday evening's 360.  Here's that video:

U.S.State Department official Philippe Reines  said: "Given the truth of how this was handled, CNN patting themselves on the back is disgusting." He said it took repeated prodding to get CNN to agree to return the journal. "When the senior most levels of CNN were finally reached, they needed to be convinced to do the right thing."

This story has received a great deal of press on Saturday and we can expect the Sunday news programs to have a lot to say on the subject.  Here's a list of a few of the more notable mentions as of our publishing time.

CNN
The Wall Street Journal
ABC News
Huffington Post

Late addition: Sunday's Op-Ed in the Washington Post


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This Weekend's Programming 9/22/12

SATURDAY, September 22, 2012

SANJAY GUPTA, MD – Airs Saturday 4:30PM – 5:00PM The head of the country’s biggest cancer center announced on Friday that they’re ready to radically cut deaths from cancer, in the next few years. This week on ‘Sanjay Gupta MD’, Sanjay has an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at this vow – the first part in a series at MD Anderson. Also, a discouraging study about the most popular diet supplements is claiming that supplements like Omega-3 fatty acids do not help prevent heard disease. Sanjay talks with Physician Nutrition Specialist Dr. Melina Jampolis, who tells him: don’t drop those pills just yet.

THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER – Airs Saturday 6:00PM – 7:00PM
Topic: Politics
Guest: Ron Brownstein, CNN Senior Political Analyst; Editorial Director, The National Journal
Topic: Middle East
Guest: Fran Townsend, CNN National Security Contributor
Topic: Middle East
Guest: Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst; Author, Manhunt
Anchor: Wolf Blitzer

CRUISE TO DISASTER – Airs Saturday 8:00PM – 9:00PM and 11:00PM (Sunday 2:00AM) CNN senior international correspondent Dan Rivers investigates safety issues within the cruise industry – specifically focusing on the January 13, 2012, Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster off the Italian coast, which claimed the lives of 32 passengers and crew members. Rivers takes an in-depth look at the multiple failures and consequences of that night by interviewing several surviving passengers as well as Costa CEO Pier Luigi Foschi and ship captain Francesco Schettino’s lawyer. International Maritime Organization Secretary General Koji Sekimizu and U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller speak about the safety issues raised by the disaster.

SUNDAY, September 23, 2012

SANJAY GUPTA, MD – Airs Sunday 7:30AM – 8:00AM
The head of the country’s biggest cancer center announced on Friday that they’re ready to radically cut deaths from cancer, in the next few years. This week on ‘Sanjay Gupta MD’, Sanjay has an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at this vow – the first part in a series at MD Anderson. Also, a discouraging study about the most popular diet supplements is claiming that supplements like Omega-3 fatty acids do not help prevent heard disease. Sanjay talks with Physician Nutrition Specialist Dr. Melina Jampolis, who tells him: don’t drop those pills just yet.

STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY – Airs LIVE Sunday 9:00AM – 10:00AM and NOON
Topics: 2012 Politics; Democratic Agenda; Immigration Reform; U.S. Troop Drawdown in Afghanistan
Guest: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Majority Whip
Topics: 2012 Politics; Republican Agenda; Agenda; Immigration Reform; U.S. Troop Drawdown in Afghanistan
Guest: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), member, Armed Services Committee
Topics: State Dept. Ad Campaign in Pakistan; Libya; Anti-American Violence; Congressional Fight Over Foreign Aid
Guest: Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), chairman, House Intelligence Committee
Anchor: Candy Crowley

FAREED ZAKARIA GPS – Airs 10:00AM – 11:00AM and 1:00PM – 2:00PM
Topic: Why should voters give President Obama a second term? What should the U.S. and the international community do about Syria? What should the U.S. do about the recent rise in “green on blue” attacks in Afghanistan? Will Israel strike Iran? What is the appropriate response to the violent reactions to the anti-Muslim film in Libya, Egypt and in other countries across the Muslim World?
Guest: Bill Clinton, former President of the United States
Topics: Religious extremism – have we reached a tipping point for the current crisis? Will the current reactions to the anti-Muslim film change the way future anti-Muslim insults are managed by Middle East governments – and extremist groups?
Guest: Salman Rushdie, author Critical Insights: Salman Rushdie (2013)
Anchor: Fareed Zakaria

RELIABLE SOURCES – Airs LIVE Sunday 11AM - NOON
Topics: Media Coverage of Romney Hidden Camera Tape; New Book
Guest: Bob Woodward, The Washington Post; author, “The Price of Politics”
Topics: Media Coverage of Romney Hidden Camera Tape
Guest: Peter Baker, The New York Times
Guest: Lynn Sweet, The Chicago Sun-Times
Topics: Partisan Split Over the Romney Tape, Fall Out for the Campaign and Media
Guest: Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post’s “Right Turn” Blog
Guest: Bill Press, host, “The Bill Press Show”
Host: Howard Kurtz

THE NEXT LIST – Sunday 2:00PM – 2:30PM This week ‘The Next List’ profiles neuroscientist and best selling author David Eagleman who is wrestling with some of the most profound questions of our existence: What is time? What is consciousness? How does the human brain construct reality? Whether he’s peering into the mind of a mass murderer or spinning tales of the afterlife, as head of the Laboratory for Perception and Action at Baylor Medical College in Houston, Eagleman and his students are pursuing some 50 different projects on the human brain.

GLOBAL LESSONS: PUTTING AMERICA TO WORK – Airs Sunday 8:00PM – 9:00PM and 11:00PM (Monday 2:00AM)
The 2012 U.S. election will pivot, in large part, on perceptions of the status of the economic recovery, which most people view in terms of improved jobs numbers. Economic experts now predict it may take as long as 60 months for America to return to pre-2008 employment levels. CNN’s and Time’s Fareed Zakaria says a “patchwork system of job training programs” are why the U.S. has 3.5 million unfilled jobs and takes an in-depth look at public-private partnerships and industrial policies in Germany, the Netherlands, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL, and Albany, NY, for models of job engines. Zakaria interviews Philips CEO Frans van Houten, Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, CEO of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at The University at Albany-SUNY, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Frits Van Paasschen, president & CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., discusses growth prospects for perhaps the ultimate “un-outsourcable” American industry: tourism.

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Fareed Zakaria Looks for Solutions for Growing Jobs

Fareed Zakaria Looks for Solutions for Growing Jobs in Political Special

Global Lessons: Putting America to Work debuts Sunday, September 23, 8:00pm

The 2012 American presidential election will pivot on the health of the economic recovery, which most people view in terms of improved jobs numbers. Economic experts now predict it may take as long as 60 months for America to return to pre-2008 employment levels. CNN’s and TIME’s Fareed Zakaria describes this lengthy “jobless recovery” as part of a trend for the U.S. economy since the 1990s – as globalization and advancements in technology make it easier to do work by machines, and less expensive to produce goods overseas.
Zakaria takes viewers on a virtual tour of Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Dubai for solutions to what may solve the American jobs crisis. And, in the U.S., he shows people leveraging creative ideas to grow jobs in the construction, nanotech, and manufacturing sectors in Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL, and Albany, NY.

Read more »

Larry King & Betty White Sell Lemonade

If you miss Larry King here's a look at what he's currently doing to make a dollar.
(Actually his new show is on Ora TV and can also been seen on HULU.)


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CNN ANNOUNCES THE TOP 10 CNN HEROES OF 2012

CNN ANNOUNCES THE TOP 10 CNN HEROES OF 2012 

EACH TO RECEIVE $50K 

VOTING FOR “CNN HERO OF THE YEAR” BEGINS TODAY ON CNNHEROES.COM AND ON MOBILE CNN 

Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, Hosted By CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Airs Sunday, December 2 

New this year: CNN and The Annenberg Foundation Collaborate to Provide Hands-On Support to 2012 Top 10 CNN Heroes CNN announces today at 12:00 noon ET the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012, individuals who are making extraordinary contributions to improve the lives of others. Each Top 10 CNN Hero will receive a $50,000 grant to further their work, and one will be named “CNN Hero of the Year” during the live broadcast on Sunday, Dec. 2. Online voting for “CNN Hero of the Year” opens today at 12:00 noon ET, and will run through Wednesday, November 28, at Midnight PT. Voters can log on to CNNHeroes.com - online or on their mobile devices- to cast ballots for their favorite Top 10 Heroes up to 10 times a day, every day. Votes can also be shared on Facebook and Twitter. The Hero with the most votes will be named “CNN Hero of the Year,” and receive an additional $250,000 grant. Hosted by Anderson Cooper from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, the Peabody Award-winning, Emmy-nominated broadcast CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute will air live on Sunday, December 2, 2012 at 9pm ET/6pm PT on CNN, CNNi and CNN en Espanol. Presenters and musical guests will be announced at a later date. This year, a new dimension will be added to the prize package for the 2012 Top 10 CNN Heroes. The Annenberg Foundation, a leading supporter of nonprofits worldwide, will help selected CNN Heroes further their work. They will receive free training by The Annenberg Foundation with a customized version of its Annenberg Alchemy program, which provides practical guidance for nonprofit leaders in fundraising, communications, management of volunteers, and strategies to build and keep a strong board of directors. Now in its sixth year, the CNN Heroes initiative has received more than 45,000 nominations from more than 100 countries and profiled over 180 everyday heroes doing extraordinary work.

Read more »

Ratings for the Week of September 10 - 14 2012

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.

This Weekend's Programming 9/15/12

SATURDAY, September 15, 2012

SANJAY GUPTA, MD – Airs Saturday 4:30PM – 5:00PM
This week Sanjay Gupta MD is live from Malibu ahead of this year’s finale of Fit Nation. Sanjay and the “Lucky 7” viewers, who have trained all year, will compete in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. Sanjay will talk with 4-time world Ironman champion Chrissie Wellington about her advice to athletes on how to get better results by training less. Also, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg talks with Sanjay about the city’s just-passed ban on selling large-size sodas – 20 ounces or more

THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER – Airs Saturday 6:00PM – 7:00PM
Topic: Mideast Turmoil
Guest: Nick Kristof, columnist, New York Times
Topic: Libya fallout
Guest: Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst
Anchor: Wolf Blitzer

SUNDAY, September 16, 2012

SANJAY GUPTA, MD – Airs Sunday 7:30AM – 8:00AM
This week Sanjay Gupta MD is live from Malibu ahead of this year’s finale of Fit Nation. Sanjay and the “Lucky 7” viewers, who have trained all year, will compete in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. Sanjay will talk with 4-time world Ironman champion Chrissie Wellington about her advice to athletes on how to get better results by training less. Also, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg talks with Sanjay about the city’s just-passed ban on selling large-size sodas – 20 ounces or more

STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY – Airs LIVE Sunday 9:00AM – 10:00AM and NOON
Topics: Democratic Agenda; Campaign 2012
Guest: Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Minority Leader
Anchor: Candy Crowley

FAREED ZAKARIA GPS – Airs 10:00AM – 11:00AM and 1:00PM – 2:00PM
Topics: Is there a danger events in the Middle East and North Africa will escalate and we’ll see a repeat of 1979 in Tehran? What can the U.S. be doing in the region? What should it be doing?
Guest: Zbigniew Brzezinski, PhD, former National Security Advisor (Carter Administration), Presidential Medal of Freedom Honoree (1981), counselor and trustee, Center for Strategic & International Studies
Topics: Foreign policy panel: What should the U.S. do about the violent protests on American consulates and embassies in Libya, Yemen, Egypt, etc.? Are the protestors – or more organized extremist groups to blame for the violence? Why won’t the moderates criticize the extremists? Are these events a negative by-product of President Bush’s “freedom agenda”? Has President Obama’s response been the right one?
Guest: Tariq Ramadan, professor of contemporary Islamic studies, Oxford University
Guest: Bernard-Henri Lévy, French philosopher, author Public Enemies (2011)
Guest: Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense (George W Bush Administration)
Topics: Obama’s Way: how the President makes decisions, what day-to-day Presidential life is likeGuest: Michael Lewis, former Wall Street bond trader, Vanity Fair contributing editor, best-selling author – The New New Thing: A Silicon Valley Story (2013)
Anchor: Fareed Zakaria

RELIABLE SOURCES – Airs LIVE Sunday 11AM - NOON
Topics: Political and Media Fallout from Events in the Middle East
Guest: Amy Holmes, Glenn Beck TV
Guest: Ryan Lizza, New Yorker; CNN contributor
Guest: Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune
Topics: Covering Libya
Guest: Paul Farhi, The Washington Post
Topics: Debut of Katie Couric’s New Daytime Talk Show
Guest: Gail Shister, TVNewser
Guest: Adam Buckman, TV critic, Xfinity and TV Howl
Host: Howard Kurtz

THE NEXT LIST – Sunday 2:00PM – 2:30PM
This week “The Next List” profiles Juan Sostheim, a pioneer in scalable sustainable living. As founder of Rancho Margot, a luxury eco-tourist resort, educational facility and organic farm in Costa Rica, he’s demonstrating that “living off the grid” is not only possible, but practical for large scale communities.

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

Sara Sidner Now With CNN's Jerusalem Bureau

Sara Sidner is moving to CNN’s Jerusalem bureau as senior international correspondent, the network announced today.

Sidner will join CNN’s contingent of correspondents across the region, as the network underlines its commitment to Israel and the Middle East. In addition to its Jerusalem bureau, CNN has a production hub in Abu Dhabi as well as major operations in Amman, Cairo, Baghdad, Dubai and Beirut, where just last week the network added both a correspondent and producer/shooter.

Parisa Khosravi, Senior Vice President for CNN Worldwide in charge of International Newsgathering, said: “Sara’s drive, commitment, bravery and intelligence shines through in her reporting. Her work in Libya last year was truly inspiring, and I know that she will bring many valuable qualities to our Jerusalem bureau.”

Sidner shared the Achievement of the Year award at the 2011 Sky Women in Film & TV Awards for her reporting during the conflict in Libya. The WFT panel praised the example she had set to colleagues by taking to the streets alongside rebel fighters and reporting under fire in Tripoli.

With more than 15 years of television journalism experience, she has covered many stories of national and international importance, including the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the Pakistan floods, the Chile and Haiti earthquakes and Afghanistan’s elections. Most recently she has been based in New Delhi, where she was responsible for CNN’s coverage of India and South Asia.

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 September 3 - 7

*denotes special programming one or more nights
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.

Wolf's New Specs Make Anderson's Ridiculist

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This Weekend's Programming 9/8/12

SATURDAY, September 08, 2012

SANJAY GUPTA, MD – Airs Saturday 4:30PM – 5:00PM
This week on Sanjay Gupta MD, more than 3,000 former NFL players and their families are suing the league over head injuries. Sanjay looks at evidence and discusses the side effects of concussions. In addition, Sanjay speaks to a mother whose daughter was killed while texting and driving, one day before high school graduation. Finally, Sanjay will be looking at the “Surrogate Sisters” to explain how surrogacy works.

THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER – Airs Saturday 6:00PM – 7:00PM
Topic: Economics, New Jobs Numbers
Guest: Stephen Moore, Sr. Economics Writer, Wall Street Journal
Topic: Economics, New Jobs Numbers
Guest: Neera Tanden, President, Center for American Progress
Topic: What’s To Come in Race for White House
Guest: Ryan Lizza, CNN Contributor/Washington Correspondent, The New Yorker
Topic: What’s To Come in Race for White House
Guest: Jeff Zeleny, National Political Correspondent, The New York Times
Anchor: Wolf Blitzer

CRISIS IN SYRIA: INSIDE ALEPPO – Airs Saturday 7:30PM – 8:00PM
CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh takes us on a journey to see what people living in the most populated Syrian city, Aleppo, are facing day to day. As the death toll from the civil war continues to climb, danger and many times death seem inevitable. In this rebel held territory, the sounds of gunfire and bombs haunt the streets. It’s hard to sleep at night when you don’t know when the next attack is coming or whom the next victim may be. And for those suffering with injuries, the hospitals seem ill-equipped to handle their wounds. This is their new reality. This is life inside Aleppo.

FOOTNOTES OF 9/11 – Airs Saturday 8:00PM – 10:00PM and 11:00PM – 12:00AM (Sunday 2:00AM)
CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin reports on the people who went to work on 9/11 – and unexpectedly became part of history. Each of the eight people profiled by investigative correspondent Drew Griffin for this documentary is mentioned in The 9/11 Commission Report – their unique experiences are drawn from the 1,742 footnotes of that report and offer critical detail to the tragic events of that day – they are literal and figurative footnotes to one of America’s darkest days. They include ticket agents who checked in some of the terrorists, a maintenance technician who answered a call from one of the planes under attack, and the Lt. Col. in the Massachusetts Air National Guard – also a United Airlines pilot – who scrambled to provide defense to New York, and faced possibly having to shoot down a passenger plane.

SUNDAY, September 09, 2012

SANJAY GUPTA, MD – Airs Sunday 7:30AM – 8:00AM
This week on Sanjay Gupta MD, more than 3,000 former NFL players and their families are suing the league over head injuries. Sanjay looks at evidence and discusses the side effects of concussions. In addition, Sanjay speaks to a mother whose daughter was killed while texting and driving, one day before high school graduation. Finally, Sanjay will be looking at the “Surrogate Sisters” to explain how surrogacy works.

STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY – Airs Sunday 9:00AM – 10:00AM and NOON
Topic: Debriefing the DNC
Guest: Gov. Jerry Brown, D-CA State of the Union exclusive
Topic: The role of government in American life
Guest: Newt Gingrich, former GOP presidential candidate State of the Union exclusive
Topic: Building the economy
Guest: Carlos Guiterrez, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce (George W. Bush Administration)
Guest: Austin Ligon, co-founder / former CEO, CarMax, Inc. and private equity investor
Topic: This week’s DNC – and looking ahead to the November elections
Guest: Peter Baker, The New York Times
Guest: A.B. Stoddard, The Hill
Anchor: Candy Crowley

FAREED ZAKARIA GPS – Airs 10:00AM – 11:00AM and 1:00PM – 2:00PM
Topic: Foreign policy panel: What does the green on blue violence mean in Afghanistan? What should the U.S. and the international community do about Syria? Will Israel strike Iran? Will Iran submit to comprehensive nuclear inspections? Is Iran aiding the Syrian regime?
Guest: Richard Haass, PhD, president of the Council on Foreign Relations
Guest: Ambassador Martin Indyk, PhD, vice president and director, foreign policy program, Brookings Institution
Guest: Anne-Marie Slaughter, D.Phil, dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, former Director of Policy Planning for the U.S. State Department of State (Barack Obama Administration)
Topics: Economics panel: will Americans be better off four years from now? Is the economy on the upswing?
Guest: Roger Altman, American private equity investor
Guest: Niall Ferguson, D.Phil, professor, Harvard University; Newsweek columnist
Topic: Red and Blue math: which party will prevail in the U.S. elections this November? What are the determining factors?
Guest: Nate Silver, political statistician
Anchor: Fareed Zakaria

RELIABLE SOURCES – Airs Sunday 11AM - NOON
Topics: Convention Coverage – including how President Obama’s speech played out in the media
Guest: Bob Cusack, managing editor, The Hill
Guest: Jane Hall, associate professor, American University School of Communications
Guest: Jackie Kucinich, political reporter, USA Today
Topic: Convention Coverage – political angles
Guest: Matt Lewis, senior contributor, DailyCaller.com
Guest: Michelle Cottle, Washington correspondent, Newsweek/The Daily Beast
Topic: Are campaign reporters becoming to whiny?
Guest: Lois Romano, Politico
Guest: Erik Wemple, The Washington Post
Host: Howard Kurtz

THE NEXT LIST – Sunday 2:00PM – 2:30PM
This week on “The Next List”: Brian O’Hanlon, Founder and President of Open Blue. The lure of the open ocean has long been the stuff of poetry. For Brian O’Hanlon, it led to his life’s work. Open Blue is the largest open ocean fish farm in the world. In fact, O’Hanlon is a pioneer in raising fish far out at sea. O’Hanlon believes that the depth of the water and swift currents make for a much healthier environment to raise fish than traditional farms near shore or on land.

ROMNEY REVEALED: FAMILY, FAITH AND THE ROAD TO POWER – Airs Sunday 8:00PM – 9:30PM and 11:00PM – 12:30AM (Monday 2:00AM)
CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger reports for Romney Revealed, speaking with Ann and Mitt Romney, and eldest son, Tagg, exploring the lessons Mitt Romney learned while growing up in a family that has been in the public eye for the last 50 years – and the 2012 presidential candidate. George Romney was a three-term Republican governor of Michigan who ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 1968. Romney’s mother, Lenore, ran for the U.S. Senate in 1970, with the young Mitt Romney by her side. Borger looks beyond Mitt Romney’s political biography into the key chapters of his personal and business life, speaking with Romney’s childhood friends, traveling to France to retrace his days as a Mormon missionary, and to Belmont, Massachusetts, where he was a church leader. In additional interviews, she speaks with fellow 2002 Olympics organizers and former Bain colleagues, such as Fraser Bullock, an early member of Bain and COO of the Salt Lake City games, and to Beth Myers, Romney’s chief of staff during his tenure as Massachusetts governor, the head of his 2008 campaign, and the person who vetted his vice-presidential pick. Also interviewed are current and former political figures such as former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), who discusses Romney’s 1994 U.S. Senate challenge to his father, Ted Kennedy. Discussing Romney’s presidential races are 2012 senior campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom, 2008 campaign media adviser and CNN contributor Alex Castellanos, and CNN contributor Erick Erickson, among others.

OBAMA REVEALED: The Man, The President – Airs Sunday 9:30PM – 11:00PM and 12:30AM – 2:00AM (Monday 3:30AM)
When President Barack Obama came into office he faced towering expectations, a severe economic crisis, and a bitterly divided nation. Obama Revealed, reported by CNN chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin, looks at the pros and cons of President Obama’s cool demeanor and what happened when his lofty goals met the realities of Washington. In an exclusive interview, Yellin speaks with President Barack Obama about his time in office, the challenges he faced, and his ambitions for a second term. Included are interviews with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, former director of the White House Economic Council Dr. Larry Summers, and former chairs of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers Austan Goolsbee and Dr. Christina Romer. Yellin also interviews members of the president’s inner circle of confidantes including senior campaign strategist David Axelrod, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, and long-time personal aide Reggie Love. These voices tell the inside story behind the president’s efforts to solve the nation’s economic crisis, push for health care reform, and kill Osama bin Laden. In separate exclusive interviews, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) offer their sharp perspectives on working with the president and the failure to bring Republicans and Democrats together in Washington. Obama biographer and Washington Post associate editor David Maraniss, Rice University professor and historian Douglas Brinkley, and New York Times chief White House correspondent David Sanger add independent insights from their research.

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

CNN #1 in Key Demo for Three Night Average of DNC

CNN #1 AMONG CABLE NEWS, TOPPED ABC AND CBS IN TOTAL VIEWERS AND P25-54 ON FINAL NIGHT OF DNC

CNN #1 in Key Demo for Three Night Average of DNC Coverage

• CNN beat ABC, CBS, MSNBC and FOX News among Total Viewers and the key P25-54 demo at 10 p.m. ET, and was the #1 most-watched cable news network during all of primetime.

DAY 3: Prime (8-11 p.m. ET)

Total Viewers / P25-54

CNN 4.105M / 1.557M
MSNBC 3.611M / 1.290M
FNC 2.659M / 673k

DAY 3: Keynote Speech Block (10-11:15 p.m. ET)

Total Viewers / P25-54

NBC 8.926M / 3.957M
CNN 5.555M / 2.207M
MSNBC 4.564M / 1.777M
ABC 3.995M / 1.524M
CBS 3.294M / 1.383M
FNC 2.914M / 831k

• CNN was the #1 most-watched cable news network among P25-54 for the 3 nights of the DNC, ahead of MSNBC by +5% and +90% vs. FNC:

Prime P25-54 (8-11 p.m. ET)

CNN 1.174M
MSNBC 1.120M
FNC 619k

* data based on Nielsen fast nationals
All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

DNC RATINGS DAY 2 (Wednesday, September 5)

DNC RATINGS DAY 2 (Wednesday, September 5)

• CNN #1 in cable news in key P25-54 demo topping MSNBC and FNC during former President Bill Clinton/keynote block (10-11:30 pm)

• CNN tops FNC in primetime in both total viewers and P25-54

Keynote Speech Block (10-11:30 pm)

P25-54 Total Viewers

CNN 1.612M 4.273M
MSNBC 1.486M 4.511M
FNC 831k 3.047M


Primetime (8-11 pm)

MSNBC 1.003M 3.308M
CNN 962k 2.919M
FNC 629k 2.699M

• data based on Nielsen fast nationals
All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

CNN TOPS ABC, CBS, FOX NEWS IN FIRST NIGHT OF DNC

CNN TOPS ABC, CBS, FOX NEWS IN TOTAL VIEWERS
P25-54 @ 10 p.m. FIRST NIGHT OF DNC

CNN ALSO TOPS FOX NEWS IN PRIME (8-11 p.m. ET) IN TOTAL VIEWERS (3.003M vs. 2.515M) AND P25-54 (1.002M vs. 554k)

First night of the DNC, broadcast and cable delivered the following @ 10 p.m. ET:*
P2+ P25-54
NBC 5.002M 1.929M
MSNBC 4.107M 1.432M
CNN 3.888M 1.368M
CBS 3.269M 1.057M
ABC 3.237M 1.143M
FOX NEWS 2.398M 550k
* data based on Nielsen fast nationals

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 August 27 - 31

* denotes special programming one or more nights
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 Debuts New Washington Studio

Thanks to an anonymous tipster here's a sneak peak at CNN's new DC studio, courtesy of TVTechnology.com. We've paraphrased a bit of the article below but please follow the link for the entire read.
CNN’s D.C. Bureau is about to debut its new, 2,200-square-foot HD studio, featuring three large video walls and two “magic walls,” plus a glass divider to create two smaller studios, the new digs were constructed to accommodate various configurations and programming. It holds 109 monitors and 2,000 feet of cabling— upon entrance from the left side is the first “magic wall,” which is one of CNN’s two 82- inch touch screens from Perceptive Pixel.

It also has a Christie Digital Systems Video Wall that will be used for glamour shots of D.C. landmarks, various video images and moving graphics accents.

The studio includes a 32-monitor video wall that can be divided in halves via the retractable glass wall (with a built-in shade) at the studio’s midsection, thus creating separate 1,100-square-foot production areas.

On the right side of Studio A/B is the other magic wall, plus an 18-monitor video wall that will be used to display the electoral vote on election night, among other news items. Two moveable monitors round out the assemblage of screens in A/B and give CNN options for an “infinite” number of configurations.

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