IT'S BLAKE O'NEAL, I'M THE LEAD BLOGGER FOR THIS WEEK. I FOUND THIS ARTICLE WHILE LOOKING THROUGH RECENT NEWS HEADLINES FOR MY COMPANY TIME WARNER INC. FOR DR. PITT'S COM430 CLASS. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING CONSIDERING WE WERE JUST GOING OVER THE MIDDLE EAST AND DISCUSSING THE UAE IN CLASS.
CNN Announces Live Daily Broadcasts from United Arab Emirates
October 12, 2008
CNN International plans to start broadcasting live daily programming from its new broadcast center in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in a landmark move that signals the global network's significantly expanded commitment to the Middle East. The as-yet-titled CNN International program marks CNN's first regularly scheduled program from the region.
The development is part of ongoing plans for CNN's new broadcast and production center set to open in the Abu Dhabi Media Zone in early 2009. In addition to the daily, local prime-time newscast, the new production center will provide the infrastructure for expanded newsgathering activities throughout the region. The center enhances CNN's existing presence in the region which currently comprises news operations in Amman, Jordan; Baghdad, Iraq; Beirut, Lebanon; Cairo; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Jerusalem and is part of the company's ongoing newsgathering expansion which over this year has seen more than 50 additional staff and more newsgathering operations in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
CNN's Abu Dhabi operation complements the network's ongoing presence in Dubai as well as existing international broadcast facilities in London, Hong Kong and Mexico City and U.S. production centers in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles.
"Our UAE expansion is one of our boldest editorial undertakings of recent years and one that builds on our existing newsgathering heritage in the region,"said Tony Maddox, managing director for CNN International. "For a global news organization, the Middle East was the logical choice for an investment of this scale. Our new operation in Abu Dhabi will enable us to continue to meet and exceed the demands of our audiences at a time when many of our competitors are having to retrench.”
The expansion cements CNN's desire for a broad presence in the United Arab Emirates at a time when the Middle East is making headlines in the political, business and cultural arenas.
"With a successful long standing operation in Dubai, the natural next step is to have a base in the capital city,"Maddox said. "We have long covered the Middle East region comprehensively on our air, and now we will have the on-the-ground infrastructure to serve, support and facilitate that coverage to the next level through these complementary operations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This groundbreaking initiative allows us to put news from the Middle East right at the heart of our output in a proper reflection of the role the region is playing on the world stage and is a significant plank in our ongoing newsgathering expansion.” -more-
In addition to the launch of live daily news programming, CNN will also move the production of its popular Middle East-focused feature programs Inside the Middle East and Marketplace Middle East to the new center.
The new CNN hub will be a custom-built news center overseen by the newly created role of managing editor CNN Abu Dhabi. The operation will house approximately 30 staff including a new CNN International anchor and programming, production and newsgathering staff who will play a key role in increasing CNN's coverage of the Persian Gulf region and the wider Middle East for all of CNN Worldwide's networks.
The new production center in Abu Dhabi marks another significant step in CNN's content ownership strategy launched at the end of last year. This has seen the network invest heavily in new news operations around the world as part of its commitment to producing premium news content for its audiences across CNN's many platforms and services.
In November 2007, CNN announced the hiring of an additional 50 staff including 12 new correspondent positions. CNN also announced plans to open new editorial operations in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Santiago, Chile.
1 comment:
Personally, I don't like how CNN is doing this. I beleive that there is a hidden agenda as to why they are doing this, maybe cultural imperialsm or they just want dominance in the Middle East. Financially, it is a good move for CNN, but morally I don't believe they are doing it to simply inform the Arab people. They should just let them be, it's bad enough we are over there fighting and killing, now we want to put another American business over there?? Damn!! Just leave them alone and let them be!!!
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