CNN International (DStv 401) was the singular best television news source on Wednesday night for amazing rolling news coverage of Egyptian street politik and the live populist coup of the Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.
CNN International's coverage was infused with exceptionally intelligent gravitas, context and on-the-minute background when CNN International decided to keep Christiane Amanpour on the air and to extend her daily news and current affairs magazine show Amanpour.
It made for terrific news television because it not only covered live breaking news, but it managed to transform and elevate it by instantly bringing well-sourced, intelligent context and impartial commentary and background to give perspective on the unfolding events.
Christiane Amanpour's always well produced Amanpour, usually a live daily half hour show at 21:00 on CNN International done from New York, started as usual on Wednesday night and was aided that the news of the ousting of Mohamed Morsi happened during her show. The show didn't miss a single second of taking in all the breaking news and appropriately and amazingly adding to it.
Amanpour was extended to a hour show and lasted until 22:00, which made Amanpour the definitive television news coverage to watch.
The pivotal anchor kept everything together and brought unsurpassed news gravitas and insight - usually missing from live breaking news events, to the unfolding Egyptian popular uprising.
Christiane Amanpour seamlessly switched between bringing in CNN's foreign correspondents with live shots, to talking to an Egyptian political science experts (an Egyptian female professor no less) in studio and talking to former Egyptian military as well as political leaders as well during the hour.
Breaking television news rarely has the opportunity to do this; rarely has the resources; or the functionality and timing. On Wednesday Amanpour had it - great rolling news coverage from CNN's very best international journalists which was be instantly infused with exceptional pre-arranged studio guests, Christiane Amanpour's own extensive background and insight, and links to Egyptians talking from across the country.
After a simply terrible hour between 22:00 and 23:00 of The Lead with Jake Tapper when CNN International switched to CNN's American feed with shockingly pathetic, shallow Egypt lite coverage and laughable tabloid trash Travon Martin trial coverage while massive news was taking place in Egypt, CNN International was back at 23:00 with more Amanpour.
Amanpour at 23:00 on CNN International is usually a half hour repeat of the day's episode, but Christiane Amanpour was back with ongoing live coverage and perspective. The "new" additional half hour remained half an hour.
Meanwhile it was South Africa's Paula Slier who did live coverage and live updates for RT (DStv 405) on Wednesday evening as that news channel's foreign correspondent perked atop high rise buildings with many other news reporters overlooking Tahrir Square.
