A Few Odds & Ends 5/4/11

A few CNN related videos to share with you today. First Soledad O'Brien popped up on TMZ last night. Here's the clip:


Jon Stewart apparently was as taken aback by Piers Morgan's candidness during the Royal Wedding coverage as Anderson Cooper and the rest of us were. Here's that clip:


And this next clip is a radio interview that John King did with Ryan Seacrest the morning after the POTUS announced Bin Ladin's death.


Broadcast&Cable has a most interesting with Sam Feist, CNN VP, about the behind the scenes scramble to get anchors and reporters in place for the President's big announcement.

I called Wolf Blitzer, who was at home in Maryland watching the Washington Capitals game. And I said, "Get in. Now." He said, "What is it?" I said, "I don't know, but it's important." So he grabbed a jacket and a tie and he raced downtown to CNN Washington bureau. At the same time, our chief national correspondent John King was at the hockey game with his daughter, and he raced to the Washington bureau.


Here are some new numbers on CNN’s coverage of the death of Bin Laden.


Fast National data: Monday, May 2 – day two death of bin Laden:

Anderson Cooper 360 tops both FNC and MSNBC in both total viewers and the demo at 10 pm
Piers Morgan and American Morning top MSNBC in total viewers and demo.
In the Arena tops MSNBC in the P25-54 demo.

10:00 pm:
• CNN’s Anderson Cooper tops FNC’s Greta Van Susteren and MSNBC’s Ed Show in both total viewers and demo 25-54
• CNN has 54 % advantage over FNC and a 149% lead over MSNBC in key demo:

CNN: 2.921 million total viewers/1.282 million P25-54 demo
FNC: 2.707 million total viewers/ 830k P25-54 demo
MSNBC: 1.404 million total viewers/ 514k P25-54 demo


9:00 pm:
• CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight tops MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow show in the demo 25-54
• Has second highest demo 25-54 performance since launch (after Japan earthquake) and third highest total viewer number (also after Japan and premiere)
• Morgan has a +21% advantage in total viewers and +27% lead in demo 25-54 over Maddow

CNN: 2.009m total viewers/816k P25-54 demo
MSNBC: 1.665m total viewers/ 643k P25-54 demo
FNC: 3.001 m total viewers/946k P25-54 demo


8:00 pm:
• CNN’s In the Arena topped MSNBC’s Last Word w/ Lawrence O’Donnell show in the demo 25-54
• This represents a +29% advantage in demo 25-54 over O’Donnell

CNN: 1.554m total viewers/ 638k P25-54 demo
MSNBC: 1.593m total viewers/ 494k P25-54 demo
FNC: 4.476m total viewers/ 1.317m P25-54 demo

7:00 pm:
• CNN’s John King, USA topped MSNBC’s Hardball in both total viewers and in the demo
• This represents an +87% advantage in total viewers and a +136% lead in the demo over Hardball

CNN: 2.191m total viewers/877k P25-54
MSNBC: 1.174m total viewers/372k P25-54
FNC: 3.131m total viewers/1.021 P 25-54

6:00 – 9:00 am:
• CNN’s American Morning topped MSNBC’s Morning Joe in both total viewers and the demo 25-54
• Has a +48% advantage in total viewers and +75% lead in demo 25-54 over Morning Joe

CNN: 1.523m total viewers/704k demo 25-54
MSNBC: 1.028m total viewers/402k demo
FNC: 2.244m total viewers/914k demo




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CNN PRESENTS: THE WOMEN WHO WOULD BE QUEEN

CNN PRESENTS: THE WOMEN WHO WOULD BE QUEEN

REPORTED BY SOLEDAD O’BRIEN

CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien examines the lives of Catherine Middleton and Prince William in a documentary that explores how the future King and Queen have been influenced by the legacy of his mother, Princess Diana, and are forging a very modern royal marriage. O’Brien chronicles their friendship-turned-romance, and how they are preparing for an “ordinary” married life in North Wales following their nuptials.



AIRTIMES (All times Eastern)

Sunday, April 24, 2011
8:00pm – 9:00pm
11:00pm – 12:00am

Monday, April 25, 2011
2:00am – 3:00am

Saturday, April 30, 2011
8:00pm – 9:00pm
11:00pm – 12:00am

Sunday, May 01, 2011
2:00am – 3:00am



Speaking about young Prince William’s early life, Christopher Andersen, author of several books about the royal family, tells O’Brien that sometimes Princess Diana’s eldest son was a witness to his parent’s troubled marriage. Andersen suggests the prince’s early sad family experiences may yield insights into his deliberation for his own romantic life, and to what drew the prince to his fiancée.

“William became sort of ‘the fixer’ ... here’s this little boy when his mother locks herself in the bathroom after an argument with Charles, and she’s sobbing, and here’s little seven-year-old William slipping tissues under the door and saying, ‘I hate to see you sad, Mummy’ ... so ... he meets Kate and Kate exposes him to a happy family for the first time ....stability,” Andersen tells O’Brien in the documentary.

Young Diana and young Kate are described by friends as painfully shy. Princess Diana was said by many who knew her to have long nursed a crush on Prince Charles, and friends of Kate Middleton have related that, similarly Kate long admired William from afar. And in 2000, both Prince William and Katherine Middleton spent portions of their “gap” years, between secondary school and university, in volunteer service in Chile, though ironically, the two were on separate missions and never met.

Kate is said to have switched her initial selection of Edinburgh University to St. Andrews University shortly after the palace announced that Prince William would be attending university there, though later, it would be Kate who would encourage struggling student, Prince William, that he could indeed make it through their challenging courses. They both completed their studies in art history there.

After their graduations, their romance took on more public visibility – and became more complicated. Reminiscent of Princess Diana, paparazzi aggressively followed Kate, and Prince William worried about Kate’s safety. The prince entered his military training, and sometimes Kate was alone for long periods. Prince William broke off their relationship in 2007, after seeking counsel from his father. Of course, the world knows the couple later reconciled and the documentary gives details of their engagement, including how and where the prince popped the question.

O’Brien describes the ways in which the couple has seemed to pursue a strong foundation for marriage – living together for a time, taking premarital counseling, and preparing for a simple early married life far from Buckingham Palace. O’Brien also reports on the moving ways in which the couple is honoring the legacy of the prince’s mother in their marriage ceremony, including Prince William’s selection of the engagement ring for his bride-to-be, and in the location the couple will take their vows, Westminster Abbey.

Also featured in the documentary are interviews with Oliver Baines, a friend of Kate Middleton’s days at boarding school; Mary Clarke, Lady Diana’s nanny; Arthur Edwards, who has photographed both princes' lives during his 30-year career at The Sun newspaper; Berkshire pub owner and Middleton family friend John Haley; long-time friends of the couple Jules Knight and Richard Dennen; Dr. James Colthurst, Lana Marks, and Mary Robertson, long time friends of Princess Diana; Malcolm Sutherland, leader for Kate Middleton’s and Prince William’s separate Chilean volunteer service expeditions; Penny Walker, Lady Diana’s music teacher; Charles Warren, one of Prince William’s lecturers at St. Andrews; and Ken Wharfe, bodyguard for the royal family.

For more information follow the link to CNN's wedding website.


AIRTIMES (All times Eastern)

Sunday, April 24, 2011
8:00pm – 9:00pm
11:00pm – 12:00am

Monday, April 25, 2011
2:00am – 3:00am

Saturday, April 30, 2011
8:00pm – 9:00pm
11:00pm – 12:00am

Sunday, May 01, 2011
2:00am – 3:00am


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

Royal Wedding Details

CNN To Provide Global, Multi-Platform Coverage of the
Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

Piers Morgan, Anderson Cooper, Richard Quest, Kiran Chetry, joined by Cat Deeley, Will Host CNN Coverage

Live from London, CNN will globally televise the biggest royal wedding event since Charles married Diana – from the ceremonial to the personal, from what is happening at Westminster Abbey to the reactions of those around the world.

On the day of the wedding, Friday, April 29, beginning at 4 a.m. ET, CNN’s special live program will be anchored by Piers Morgan, Richard Quest, Anderson Cooper, Kiran Chetry and special contributor Cat Deeley, noted British broadcaster and fashion expert, across CNN/U.S. and CNN International. CNN will live stream various angles of the day’s events on CNN.com, including views from inside the Abbey as well as the parade, via the CNN Apps for iPhone and iPod touch, iPad and Android tablet.

Leading up to the big day, Piers Morgan and Anderson Cooper will anchor their nightly programs from London. CNN will also broadcast a documentary on Catherine Middleton anchored by Soledad O’Brien, as well as weekly special reports from Richard Quest, among others.

Highlights of CNN’s Royal Wedding coverage include:
• Premiering Saturday, April 2 at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET: Richard Quest will anchor four half hour specials throughout the month of April. A Royal Wedding will air Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET on CNN/U.S. and CNN International.
• Sunday, April 24 at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. ET: CNN/U.S. will premiere The Women Who Would be Queen, a look at the life of Catherine Middleton, the woman who will someday become Queen of the United Kingdom. Featured in the documentary are Jules Knight, close friend of the couple from the origins of their fairytale romance during their university days at St. Andrews, and Arthur Edwards, longtime royal photographer, who has chronicled the princes' entire lives during his 30-year career at England’s The Sun newspaper. Edwards has captured the princes’ childhoods, how they’ve coped with the tragic loss of their mother, and their transition into manhood. The documentary also explores the ways in which the future King and Queen have honored the life and legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales. CNN Presents: The Women Who Would be Queen is reported by anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien. The documentary will debut on CNN International on Saturday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET and replay on CNN/U.S. on Saturday, April 30 at 8 p.m., 11 p.m., and 2 a.m. ET.
• Monday, April 25 – Friday, April 29: Piers Morgan will broadcast his nightly show Piers Morgan Tonight at 9 p.m. ET from London with a mix of topical guests and newsmakers on both CNN/U.S. and CNN International.
• Monday, April 25 – Friday, April 29: Kiran Chetry will co-anchor American Morning 6-9 a.m. ET live from London for CNN/U.S.
• Wednesday, April 27 – Friday, April 29: Anderson Cooper will anchor Anderson Cooper 360, also live from London, at 10 p.m. ET on CNN/U.S. and CNN International.


Additionally, CNN International will feature live programming from location with Richard Quest for Quest Means Business and Connect the World with Becky Anderson, while HLN’s Brooke Anderson will co-anchor Showbiz Tonight from London. Glenda Umana and Marta Altoona will provide coverage for CNN en Español. John Sepulvedo will report from London for CNN Radio.
“Calling upon their years of interviews with the Royal Family, Piers and Richard will share their knowledge and insights across CNN. Along with CNN’s user-generated community of iReporters, CNN is uniquely positioned to share a first-hand account of the Royal Wedding across our networks and platforms,” said Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director of newsgathering for CNN Worldwide.

For those away from the TV screen, CNN has launched The Wedding Planner, a special section at www.cnn.com/wedding that includes explainers, profiles, photo galleries, on-demand video from CNN’s reporting on the topic, and exclusive content from CNN’s royal reporting team. Additionally, CNN has launched Unveiled, a blog covering all the chatty details that St. James’ palace isn’t commenting on – from the great dress mystery to the official iTunes release of the wedding vows, available at www.cnn.com/unveiled.

CNN iReport, the network’s participatory news community which has received a submission from every country on the planet, will contribute to CNN’s coverage of the pending nuptials in a wide variety of ways, including:
• Royal Wedding iReporter Contest: On April 11, CNN will announce the name of one lucky U.S.-based iReporter that will be sent to London to cover the wedding. iReporters can go to http://ireport.cnn.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=572959, to submit a 90-second video explaining why they should be chosen;
• Royal Wedding assignments – Beginning on April 22, iReport also will invite people to share their experience and take the visual pulse of the audience through a series of lighthearted and fun assignments, such as calls for photos or videos of a proper English breakfast, fashionably over-the-top hats and instant reaction to the bride’s wedding dress; and
• CNN iReport Open Story: Royal Wedding – Also on April 22, CNN will reveal its Royal Wedding-themed iReport Open Story, which feature select photos and videos from iReporters and CNN journalists, placed along an interactive timeline and map to paint a comprehensive picture of the event through the eyes of the many people who experience it.
Facebook users also can stay informed of all aspects of CNN’s coverage leading up to and during the event via the CNN Royal Wedding fan page at www.facebook.com/royalweddingCNN.




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Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door

CNN In America presents…
Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door
Reported by Soledad O’Brien
Sunday, March 27 at 8p ET

It’s been said if Tennessee is part of America’s Bible belt, Middle Tennessee is the belt buckle. Murfreesboro, Tennessee (pop. 100,000) is home to 140+ churches… and one mosque. Just off Middle Tennessee Boulevard, hidden behind a dingy auto repair shop is where you’ll find the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. A small sign outside a non-descript office building is the only thing identifying the 2,200 sq. ft mosque. Five times a day members of the Muslim community gather in Islamic Center of Murfreesboro to pray. Muslims have lived in Murfreesboro for decades, yet when plans to build a new mosque were approved this past summer, questions were raised and the resulting backlash and acts of vandalism revealed a community divided by deep-rooted suspicions about Muslims and Islam. Ten years after 9/11, this is the story of Muslims and non-Muslims, struggling to find common ground in America.








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

'A Royal Wedding' CNN Style

Preliminary details for CNN’s coverage of the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey have been released. Anderson Cooper, Richard Quest and Piers Morgan will provide extensive coverage throughout April of the biggest royal wedding event since Charles married Diana - from the ceremonial to the personal, from the events at Westminster Abbey to the reactions of those around the world.

This will culminate in CNN’s special live seven-hour broadcast ‘A Royal Wedding’ on April 29, the day of the wedding. Richard Quest sets the scene ahead of the big day with a weekly series throughout April of observations and insights, guests and reports. Beginning on Monday April 26th, Piers Morgan’s coverage kicks off as he broadcasts his nightly show from London with a mix of topical guests and newsmakers. Anderson Cooper will anchor AC360 live from London from Wednesday April 27 through Friday April 29.

“As the tension and excitement builds in the days before the Royal Wedding, CNN intends to be a visual real-time diary of the many and varied ways that people around the world choose to mark and experience the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton," said Katherine Green, Senior Vice President and General Manager for CNN International. "The wedding day itself will capture the imagination of millions of viewers and CNN guarantees its global audience a front row seat for every minute of the pomp and ceremony of the big day."

To round off coverage of what some would describe as perhaps the biggest Royal event of the past two decades a special CNN documentary hosted by Soledad O’Brien titled “The Women who would be Queen”, will air soon after the event.


Richard Quest Royal Wedding Specials are scheduled on CNNi April 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th

Piers Morgan Tonight: Live From London April 26th, 27th & 28th

Anderson Cooper 360: Live From London April 27th & 28th

A Royal Wedding: Friday April 29th


Keep checking back for more details to be posted.

Source: Throng.com.nz


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.



I think this was the day it began, my life of perpetual motion. I was a middle-class girl in a middle-class Long Island suburb, but my life became like those games of dodge ball in the schoolyard. When you move, you can't get hit. You survive to play again. By doing that, you come out the winner.

There was the day I was walking down the hall to science. An older kid, an eighth-grader, came up to me. "If you're a [n-word], why don't you have big lips?" he asked. It killed me that I could feel myself trying to formulate an answer, as if the question merited one. There was no hostility in his voice. He wasn't much bigger than me; he wasn't even scary. Today, almost 33 years later, I could pick him out of a lineup. That day, I just pursed my mouth and kept moving. I wouldn't dignify him with a response. I had to get to class.

I've been a journalist now for over 20 years. I sprint from story to story. I am a big version of that little girl in Smithtown, except now I'm walking toward something rather than away from it. In interviews, I force people to consider every word they say. I dig in to the awkward question. I revel in making people rethink their words. Nothing stops me. It's not that I'm propelled by unfounded optimism. I just see life as a series of victories, of wins.

I graduated with honors from a school where being half black and half white meant that I was the brunt of bad jokes. I went to Harvard, just like my sister Estela -- like all six of us siblings, in fact. I am by all objective measures a successful journalist. I've gone on to marry a great guy, have four healthy kids, anchor a network TV show, write books, give speeches, and produce award-winning documentaries about challenging subjects like race.

That eighth-grader didn't hinder my forward motion one bit. Whatever became of him, he was wrong about me. Whatever assumptions he made about me, I refuted them by succeeding. Encounters like that changed me for the better. I learned that I didn't need to stop and confront every injustice thrown my way. That anger could teach me. That my experiences could help me identify with people with whom I had little in common.

I knew that if I let anger take hold of me, every person who rubbed me the wrong way would be paying for that guy back at the photo studio in 1977. Forgive me if I'm offending you… I think life harbors the possibility that we can push forward and come out better on the other end. In this country, one thing that’s certain is that not far around the corner from every ugly thing there's something really beautiful. And if you stop at every bitter comment, you will never reach your destination.

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.



Every leading indicator – unemployment, income, wealth, educational attainment, homeownership and foreclosures – demonstrates that the African-American financial foundation is crumbling at rates that are comparatively worse than other segments of the U.S. population. Reported by anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien, and told through experiences of members of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in New Jersey, this special explores how one church is helping its 7,000 parishioners survive the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Rev. Dr. DeForest Soaries believes ‘debt is the new slavery’. His church’s community development corporation struggles to help desperate homeowners save their homes from foreclosure. The youth ministry helps a high school student struggling to get into college, but also towards student loan debt. Another church member is a former Vice President at a large insurance brokerage firm who was laid off four days before his 58th birthday. Today he is competing with a sea of younger men and women to find employment. See inside one church as the pastor and his members worship together, and struggle to meet new challenges. Following the documentary, a dynamic town hall discussion moderated by O’Brien will feature Rev. Soaries, the Chief Pastor of The Potter's House Rev. T.D. Jakes, clinical social worker and public relations executive Terrie Williams, syndicated columnist Michelle Singletary and political pollster Cornell Belcher.



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

Soledad O'Brien Injured in Horse Riding Accident

From BVBuzz.com...

 

Award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien is on the mend after a fall from a horse that caused serious injury to her knee.

On Sunday, the 44-year-old CNN anchor was horseback riding in Brewster, N.Y., with her daughters, Sofia and Cecilia, when she was thrown from her horse.

"She got spooked by another horse and ditched me," she told BV Buzz. "I tore absolutely everything in my knee. My surgeon said 'impressive!' I am on crutches now and doing physical therapy. I'll have surgery in two weeks when the swelling goes down."

Timing couldn't be worse for the Emmy-winning media talent, who is gearing up for a whirlwind promotional tour. O'Brien has a new documentary called 'Almighty Dept' that premieres on Oct. 21, and her book, 'The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities,' comes out on Nov. 2.

"It's super hard to clunk around on crutches! You know what's annoying is now I'm slow and I usually get 10 things done at one time! So cutting back is really hard for me," she shared, before adding: "Plus, the kids keep baking me get-well-soon cakes, which I'm eating!"

The married mother of four, who was born María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien, said her doctor has cleared her to swim and get on her bike to maintain her fitness regimen.

As of now, she doesn't intend to cancel any travel plans and will be in Atlanta this week presenting Morehouse College's Soledad O'Brien Freedom's Voice Award to actor Hill Harper and music mogul Kevin Liles.

"I'm trying to figure out how to walk in crutches in a gown," she laughed.

Though best known for her compelling reporting on documentaries, such as 'Black in America,' 'Black in America 2,' 'Latino In America' and 'Rescued,' O'Brien was also part of the coverage teams that earned CNN a George Foster Peabody Award for its Hurricane Katrina coverage and an Alfred I. duPont Award for coverage of the Asian tsunami.

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