Ratings For The Week of 7/23-7/27

1 - Special programming was aired 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.

This Weekend's Programming 7/28/12

SATURDAY, July 28, 2012

THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER – Airs Saturday 6:00PM – 7:00PM
Topic: Osama bin Laden; National Security
Guest: Admiral William McRaven, Commander, U.S. Special Operations (ALL ON TAPE!)
Anchor: Wolf Blitzer

MADNESS AT MIDNIGHT: THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS IN AURORA – Airs LIVE Saturday 8:00PM – 9:00PM, 10:00PM and SUNDAY 1:00AM, 4:00AM, 8:00PM and 11:00PM
Just one week ago, movie goers in a suburb of Denver, CO, were just settling in at a theater for a midnight summer blockbuster when it soon became clear that something was terribly wrong. According to witnesses, a masked, armored, heavily-armed man released teargas from the front of the theater, shot first into the air, and then began shooting randomly into the crowded auditorium with automatic weapons. CNN anchor Don Lemon anchors live updates each evening, with contributions from investigative correspondent Drew Griffin. They search for answers to the events of July 20, 2012, in Aurora, CO, speaking with survivors of that fateful evening, profiling the victims of the shootings, and revealing information about the suspect who now stands accused of killing 12 and wounding 58 people – while trying to determine if there may have been warning signs to the tragedy.

SUNDAY, July 29, 2012

STATE OF THE UNION WITH CANDY CROWLEY – Airs LIVE Sunday 9:00AM – 10:00AM and NOON
Topic: Campaign 2012; Romney’s Overseas Trip; Intel Leaks; Defense Cuts and Congressional Agenda
Guest: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Majority Whip
Topic: Campaign 2012; Romney’s Overseas Trip; Defense Cuts and Congressional Agenda
Guest: Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
Anchor: Candy Crowley

FAREED ZAKARIA GPS – Airs Sunday 10:00AM – 11:00AM and 1:00PM – 2:00PM
Topics: Just how bad is the American economy? What can the government do to improve it? Will Krugman succeed Fed Chair Ben Bernanke? Will the euro collapse? Are the attacks on Romney’s Bain Capital days fair?
Guest: Paul Krugman, columnist, The New York Times and Professor of Economics & International Affairs, Princeton University; Nobel laureate in economics; author: End This Depression Now! (2012)
Guest: Kenneth Rogoff, PhD, professor of economics and public policy at Harvard University; author: This Time is Different (2009)
Topics: Syria – what’s the endgame? What should the U.S. be doing? Is Syria like Iraq? Iran – how to resolve the nuclear issue? Egypt – what to expect from the Muslim Brotherhood President? Romney – what to make of his foreign policy?
Guest: Tom Friedman, author (That Used To Be Us, 2011) Pulitzer prize-winning columnist for The New York Times
Guest: Richard Haass, PhD, president, Council on Foreign Relations
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)
Guest: Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense (George W Bush Administration)
Anchor: Fareed Zakaria

RELIABLE SOURCES – Airs LIVE Sunday 11AM - NOON
Topics: Romney’s Olympic Gaffe; Overseas Trip; Campaign 2012
Guest: Ryan Lizza, The New Yorker
Guest: Jim Geraghty, National Review
Guest: Keli Goff, TheLoop21.com
Topics: Media’s Gun Control Debate
Guest: Fred Francis, former NBC correspondent
Guest: Jane Hall, associate professor of journalism, American University
Topics: New “Face the Facts” Media Project
Guest: Frank Sesno, professor of media and public affairs, The George Washington University
Topics: Olympics; Penn State Controversy; Life as a Sportswriter
Guest: Frank Deford, author, “Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter”
Host: Howard Kurtz

**PLEASE NOTE FOR MONDAY, JULY 30:**
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer travels to Israel to sit down with Mitt Romney
As GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney continues on his foreign policy trip, CNN lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer will join the candidate in Israel for a substantive interview. Blitzer will sit down with Romney to discuss the goals of his foreign policy swing, the latest on his campaign, the unrest in many regions around the globe and more. This interview will air on Monday, July 30 on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, 4-7 p.m. ET.

Not only is Blitzer known for his political experience, he has traveled the world providing in-depth reports on international affairs and news events to include the Iraq war in 2003 and the crisis in Israel between the country and Hezbollah in 2006. Blitzer began his career in 1972 with the Reuters News Agency in Tel Aviv. Shortly thereafter, he became a Washington, D.C., correspondent for The Jerusalem Post. Read more about Blitzer’s international expertise .

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

Jim Walton Leaving CNN in December

Jim Walton's letter explaining his decision to step down from his position as head of CNN Worldwide:

After more than 30 years at this company and nearly 10 years as the leader of this great news organization, I have decided to leave my role at CNN on December 31, 2012.

For some time, I’ve been talking with Phil Kent about wanting to make a change, and he supports my decision. I’ve told Phil that I will cooperate with any transition timeline that he and Time Warner want to implement. Phil requested that I work out the year and be available after that if needed, which I’ve agreed to do.

I am proud of what we have accomplished together over these last 10 years – innovative programming, the development of great talent in front of and behind the cameras, expansion in digital and mobile, significant investment and expansion in international coverage, financial success and, most importantly, great and trusted journalism. Thank you for the role you have played in our successes.

CNN needs new thinking. That starts with a new leader who brings a different perspective, different experiences and a new plan, one who will build on our great foundation and will commit to seeing it through. And I’m ready for a change. I have interests to explore and I want to give myself time to do it.

The next few months will be filled with election news and other important events that will require all of our focus to report the news with the quality and expertise the world expects of CNN. I look forward to working alongside each of you, as I have over the past 30-plus years, to do just that.

Jim

Turner Broadcasting's Chairman Phil Kent's statement:

“Jim is the leader we all aspire to be: Smart and steady, tough and fair, business-savvy and respected by his team, and with a track record of great judgment when it matters most. His vision has modernized and globalized our legacy news brand, enhanced CNN’s journalistic standing, positioned it at the forefront of multi-platform branded news content and challenged the organization to think bigger, reach further and do better. I am honored to work alongside him and proud to call him my friend.

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes's statement:

When Jim Walton assumed the presidency of CNN in 2003, it was underperforming and earnings were in serious decline. Since then, he and CNN have tripled earnings, doubled margin and delivered annual growth of 15 percent. In his nearly 31 years of uninterrupted and distinguished service to CNN, Jim has been instrumental in growing the business into the financial powerhouse it has become, while establishing the brand as the worldwide leader for television news. I respect him personally and professionally and support the decision he and Phil Kent have reached.

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

CNN Has the Olympics Covered

Broadcast Piers Morgan Tonight and World Sport Live From London During the 2012 Olympic Summer Games

Former Olympic Gold Medalist Linford Christie to Contribute to CNN’s Coverage

CNN’s Piers Morgan will be live on location broadcasting from London for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games, airing in the United States on CNN/U.S. and globally on CNN International. This week, Morgan will interview Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and American Olympian Michael Phelps, among others.
CNN’s primary live location in London is a panoramic view of Olympic Park and Olympic Stadium. With a reach of more than 200 countries, CNN International will expand its Olympic Summer Games coverage with World Sport, which airs live several times a day. Former Olympic Gold Medalist Linford Christie will contribute to CNN’s coverage of the Olympic Summer Games. CNN en Español will broadcast special coverage from London, and will feature web content on CNNEspanol.com.
HLN will offer profiles and personal stories of American Olympic contenders that will air during Morning Express with Robin Meade, News Now and Evening Express, in addition to daily updates on the games. Hometown reaction and celebrations will also be showcased at intervals on air. HLNtv.com will provide daily reports on the games and feature the series “Someone to Root For.” Additionally, the site will host a playful interactive quiz: “Olympic Game or Not?!”
Online, CNN Digital will live blog the Games, post results and medals in real-time, and feature original content all on www.cnn.com/olympics. Coverage will also include daily photo galleries, an interactive showing the evolution of the Olympic athlete since 1896 and a special franchise called Human to Hero, which profiles Olympic athletes. CNN iReport, the network’s global participatory news community, is launching two projects for the Games. The first is an Open Story, which places photos and videos from iReporters and CNN journalists into an interactive map and timeline. iReport is also taking submissions for the Sports Photography Master Class, where users can share their best sports photography, and the most compelling images will be featured in a photo gallery on CNN.com. Online content will also be available via CNN’s mobile platforms, including CNN’s mobile website and on CNN apps for iPhone, iPad and Android phone.

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

Victor Blackwell Joins CNN

Victor Blackwell Joins CNN as Anchor and Correspondent

Victor Blackwell will join CNN as an Atlanta-based anchor and correspondent, co-hosting CNN Newsroom Saturday mornings with Randi Kaye, it was announced today by Ken Jautz, executive vice president of CNN.
Blackwell comes to CNN from WPBF 25 News in West Palm Beach, Fla., where he served as an anchor for the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. He has been honored with an Emmy award, several regional Emmy nominations, two Telly awards, several Associated Press awards and honors from the Society of Professional Journalists. He also earned the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award and the UNITY Award, both from the Radio Television Digital News Association, for a special report on the disproportionate drop out rate amongst young black men.
“Victor is a passionate and committed journalist,’ said Jautz. “He will be a strong addition to our weekend morning team and in the field.”
Prior to his tenure at WPBF, Blackwell worked for WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, Fla. He broke into journalism writing for the Community Times newspaper in Columbia, Md. He has worked as a producer for Radio11 WBAL in Baltimore and as a co-producer for WHUT-TV in Washington. He has also worked for WPMT-TV in York, Penn., and WHAG-TV in Hagerstown, Md.
Blackwell’s reporting includes an investigation of synthetic marijuana, its effects and the local people making money from the drug. He covered the final space shuttle launch on location in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and he covered the Casey Anthony trial and verdict in Orlando, Fla., including exclusive interviews with Anthony’s roommates.
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 7/16-7/20

1 - Special programming 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.

Win A Trip To The Rep/Dem Convention

CNN has 'Your Political Ticket'

CNN is offering viewers the once-in-a-lifetime change to win a trip to Tampa and Charlotte to experience the excitement around the Republican National Convention or the Democratic National Convention.

From now through Sunday, August 5th, those interested can head over to CNN iReport to upload a video or photo telling CNN why they should be selected to help cover the events of the RNC/DNC alongside CNN.

The selected recipients will receive an all-expense paid trip to Tampa, FL or Charlotte, NC. Additionally, winners will receive VIP access to the CNN Grill and CNN’s live broadcasts, special meet and greet with CNN talent and more.

Six entries (+ 1 guest each) will be selected. The winners will be announced the week of August 12.

For more information visit http://iReport.com/conventions.

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