CNN International cuts down on its live programming done from London; shows like CNN Talk axed.

CNN International (DStv 401) is cutting down on its live programming done from London in the United Kingdom, meaning an hour and a half less programming that's produced from London and with at least 13 staffers getting fired.

TVNewser on Tuesday reported that the TV news channel is making changes to its London operation "in an effort to CNN International" which means cutting 90 minutes of CNN International programming done from London.

CNN International will be simulcasting another 90 minutes from the feed of CNN in the United States. According to TVNewser, some jobs in London will be moved to Atlanta in America.

Going forward, CNN International will broadcast more simulcast feeds from America, as well as more repeats of Christiane Amanpour's programme Amanpour and other programmes originating from CNN International's Abu Dhabi bureau.

The Guardian reports that staffers - including some managers whose shows were affected - were given no advance warning of CNN's announcement that was made on Tuesday in London by Jeff Zucker, CNN boss, at a meeting at CNN's London office.

The CNN London staff cuts come after the long-serving CNN International boss, Tony Maddox, earlier this month unexpectedly announced that he was leaving CNN.

London-based shows like the talk show CNN Talk is apparently being cut and cancelled completely as CNN is refocusing its London office to produce for its online offering.

CNN's parent company Time Warner was recently taken over by AT&T and renamed WarnerMedia.

In a statement to The Guardian CNN said "In the coming months, CNN International will be consolidating key parts of its production model centrally in Atlanta, in much the same way as we currently do with large parts of our programming for CNN US. This means that some jobs will shift from London to Atlanta, but overall headcount will be unchanged".

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 11 April 2018.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ Trashy TV reporter AJ Bayatpour assaults a competitor at an American football game.
And an unhinged idiot punched a TV reporter in New York


■ Ant dumped: ITV's alcoholic presenter Ant McPartlin who's back in rehab over drugs and drinking problems has been dumped from the latest season of ITV's Britain's Got Talent with Declan Donnelly who will be presenting on his own.
ITV sends Ant "all our love". It comes after the co-presenter of Saturday Night Takeaway on ITV Choice (DStv 123) was arrested last month on drunk driving charges and also vanished from that show.


■ German TV is starting to sanitise its television series by not wanting to portray the true evil of Nazi Germany.

■ Zimbabwe students at the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) are furious after their DStv is cut off, start protest action over their lack of entertainment.


■ In a leaked recording of a tense staff meeting of CNN International (DStv 401) in London, managing director Tony Maddox said he is "surprised by this, shocked and disappointed" by the results of an internal gender pay gap survey as CNN executives were confronted by female employees, including Christiane Amanpour over being paid less than men at CNN.


■ Catt Sadler who left E! for not wanting to pay her as much as much as her male co-anchor Jason Kennedy, says she should have asked E! Entertainment (DStv 124) for more money much earlie from the NBCUniversal Networks channel that's one of the places mired in a gender pay gap controversy.
She's also wrote a must-read essay for Vanity Fair over equal pay E! was asked to comment but refused.


■ FOX Networks Group's offices in West-London raided by European Commission investigators who seized documents and computers and who will remain on the premises on Wednesday and Thursday. The reason for the raid isn't clear. FNG says it iscooperating with the inspection.

■ What viewers would like to see more of in the second season of Being Bonang on 1Magic (DStv 103).

■ Let this sink in: Netflix does a Los Angeles premiere for its new TV show Lost in Space (for a TV show, not a movie) at the Cinerama Dome with the cast and full press in attendance where the show is previewed with reviews from TV critics coming out hours later. Meanwhile e.tv can't get its act together for a proper launch for its new local drama series Imbewu. How very sad.

CNN International adds a new weeknight show, State of the Race with Kate Bolduan; will cover the 2016 American presidential election from New York.

CNN is adding a new weekday prime time show, State of the Race with Kate Bolduan, from today to CNN International (DStv 401) that will cover the ongoing American primary elections and the upcoming presidential election.

State of the Race with Kate Bolduan, now finally added to the electronic programme guide (EPG) on MultiChoice's DStv before its first episode tonight, will broadcast on weekdays at 20:30 (South African time) from CNN's New York bureau.

The half hour weeknight State of the Race with Kate Bolduan adds to the already breathless American election coverage for international viewers from Wolf Blitzer's Wolf on CNN International and the more grounded weekly show, Political Mann.

It's not clear what's happening with Zain Asher who anchored wider international news for viewers during the weekday time period.

Interestingly CNN International (DStv 401) increased its audience share during the month of April on MultiChoice's DStv, with viewership climbing to 5.47%, with viewership and share gain coming mostly from a loss of share at BBC World News (DStv 400 / StarSat 256) that fell to a paltry 3.49% share in April from March.

Although CNN International dramatically increased its American primary election coverage during April with numerous, often-jarring, switches to the CNN domestic feed for international viewers, it's not possible to say that the channel's bigger news audience share on DStv was specifically attributable to more American election coverage.

CNN International describes State of the Race with Kate Bolduan as "a nightly destination for international audiences looking for an in-depth lowdown on the race to the White House".

"This has already been a race like no other, and it is clear there is a lot more to come," says Kate Bolduan in a statement.

"Every night we're going to bring our international audiences along for the ride - offering the very latest developments from the campaign trail and giving them the inside scoop of what is really going on within the campaigns and in the minds of American voters."

"Around the world everyone is talking about this US election," says Tony Maddox, the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International.

"As we get into the decisive campaign stages and open up key election battlegrounds, State of the Race will bring an insiders' view from one of CNN’s most skilled political journalists. We'll be delivering international audiences all they need to fully understand this vitally important story with intelligence, passion and a little humor, too."

Entries open for African journalists for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2016; new category added to recognise a young African journalist.

Entries have opened for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2016 with the 21st edition that is again expanding, adding another new category to recognise the excellent work of a young African journalist.

Journalists in print, online, radio and television across Africa can enter the continent's most prestigious journalism competition at www.africa.cnnjournalistaward.com that added the new category this year of The Maggie Eales Young Journalist Award.

The award is named in honour of the late Maggie Eales, a CNN executive and former journalist who during her 20 year career at CNN was the driving force behind the development and growth of the African Journalist Awards.

This new award will recognise a young journalist starting out, and telling an impactful story with conviction. A journalist in this category must be born after 1 January 1990.

"Africa is an increasingly important part of the global story, and CNN reflects that," says Tony Maddox, the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International (DStv 401).

"We are committed to the African story, not just editorially, but also in terms of supporting its own journalistic enterprise through the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards. I am immensely proud of our long-term commitment to Africa and there is no better example of that than these Awards".

"The longevity of these Awards is indicative of how these awards continue to play a meaningful role for the advancement of outstanding journalism across the continent," says Tim Jacobs, MultiChoice Africa CEO.

"I'm confident that the 2016 installment of the Awards will continue to unearth extraordinary African talent whose tireless work and search for the truth may otherwise not receive the recognition it deserves".

The categories in which African journalists in any medium can enter this year include the:

• Culture Award
• Innovation Reporting Award
• Economics & Business Award
• Features Award
• Francophone General News Award – Electronic Media
• Energy & Infrastructure Award
• Mohamed Amin Photographic Award
• Health & Medical Award
• News Impact Award
• Portuguese Language General News Awards
• Press Freedom Award
• Sport Reporting Award
• Environment Award
• The Maggie Eales Young Journalist Award

 Out of these entries, the independent judging panel will choose the overall winner - the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2016.

Landmark 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 with Zain Asher and Mark Masai set to celebrate journalism with 700 guests in Nairobi.

A large group of the continent's media and journalists are set to converge on Kenya's capital Nairobi - Africa's Green City in the Sun - from Thursday for the auspicious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 taking place for its landmark 20th time this year.

The 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 will be held on Saturday evening in Nairobi's  Kenyatta International Conference Centre, refurbished to the tune of millions earlier this year for the state visit of America's president Barack Obama, with CNN International's Zain Asher and NTV's Mark Masai.

It's here, in the continent's most prestigious annual competition to reward excellence in African journalism, where journalists from across the African continent will be honoured on Saturday night and where an expected 700 guests will converge.

Chosen from entries spanning 39 African countries, journalists will be honoured in various categories for their great reporting work in various mediums - telling harrowing, moving and important stories to their readers, listeners and viewers through inserts, interviews and articles often sourced and produced under extremely difficult circumstances.

The competition was last held in Nairobi a decade ago, in 2005.

While the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards usually alternates between South Africa and different African country from one year to the next, the awards ceremony which was held last year in Tanzania, is taking place in Kenya on Saturday and not in South Africa.

CNN International (DStv 401) denies that Kenya was selected to somehow make up for the global news channel's gaffe earlier this year when the East African country was described on CNN as "a hotbed of terror" in July.

After the on-air incident the Kenyan government demanded an apology and Tony Maddox, the executive vice-president and managing director of CNN International personally flew to Nairobi to apologise to Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta.

"The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards have been held in South Africa on several occasions, but there hasn't been a formal arrangement between South Africa and other countries," CNN International told TV with Thinus.

"Our commitment is to the whole continent and we will always try to go to new locations when logistics and circumstances permit."

CNN International says CNN and MultiChoice decided upon Nairobi as the location for this year's CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards very early this year and that this has been long in the planning well before the summer.

Besides Zain Asher well-known CNN reporters are set to attend the 2015 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards and who have covered and continue to cover the African continent incisively.

Barring any breaking news commitments, Robyn Kriel who joined CNN International from eNCA (DStv 403) earlier this year covering East Africa, David McKenzie who moved from China to South Africa to covering Africa again and Soni Methu, the presenter of the magazine show Inside Africa will all attend the awards.

Over the next few days journalists and the 31 finalists will attend various media forums with topics like "20 Years of African journalism", Storytelling in the digital age" and hear more about Africa's developmental challenges. On the itinerary is also a tour of the SuperSport studios.

CNN doesn't want to reveal exactly what and how the 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards will be different on Saturday but says "it will be fantastic to be joined by the vast majority of previous winners on the night".

"As well as recognising the very best of African journalist from the last year, the event will be a real celebration of 20 years of the awards. Special video content has been created which will draw on the experiences of some of those who have been involved and made the awards so special over the years".

Four South African journalists make the shortlist as nominees for the landmark 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 set for Kenya.

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 announced the shortlisted finalists in the various categories, with the continent's most prestigious competition for journalism on the African continent, now in its landmark 20th year, set to be held in Nairobi, Kenya in October this year.

After downsizing the number of categories in 2014 from 14 to 11, the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 once again expanded, keeping all 11 categories and adding a best features award as well as a technology and innovation reporting award to bring the award categories to 13.

Ferial Haffajee, editor of South Africa's City Press newspaper and the chairperson of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 independent judging panel, announced the 31 finalists coming from 39 countries this year.

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalists Awards 2015 once again has some South African journalists on the finalist list this year.

South African journalists nominated this year for their work include Julie Laurenz and Jacqueline Jayamaha working freelance for e.tv; Herman Verwey of Beeld newspaper and Sarah Wild for The Mail & Guardian.

Finalists will again converge for a four day media forum set for early October and the gala award ceremony, which this year will be held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in East Africa. With the landmark 20th year of the awards, winners from previous years will join this year's finalists.

In the past the CNN MultiChoice African Journalists Awards also handed out a Press Freedom Award - ironically, but poignantly - often to a journalist who can attend due to imprisonment or death suffered in the line of simply bringing people the truth and reporting the news.

This award could very likely be awarded this October in Nairobi to the Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed imprisoned in Egypt  and who were sentenced last month, together with journalist Peter Greste in absentia, to an even longer prison sentence.

"MultiChoice is delighted to once again be associated with these prestigious awards that give respect to the work done by journalists across the African continent," says Imtiaz Patel, MultiChoice group CEO.

"We congratulate all the finalists on their achievements and look forward to celebrating with the winners in Nairobi in October."

"We continue to be amazed by the resourcefulness and growth of journalists in the complexity and immediacy of the digital and online age of news and information," says Tim Jacobs, MultiChoice Africa CEO.

"That is why we remain committed to nurturing and growing African journalists who have a huge responsibility and role to play and where tech-savvy readers have the ability to follow breaking stories and are not shy to engage in dialogue on a number of different platforms."

"The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Awards have for the past 20 years provided a voice for credible journalism. As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we can only commend the journalists for leaving no stone unturned in telling the important stories."

"The quality and breadth of entries in this, its 20th year, is testament to the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards' position as the most prestigious recognition for journalism across the continent," says Tony Maddox, the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International (DStv 401).

"CNN is privileged to be involved in this important initiative to honour the outstanding work across multiple platforms, topics and journalistic principles."

Here is the full list of finalists in the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015:

Fiifi Essilfie Anaman, Freelance for zonalsports.com, Ghana

Benedicta Asiimwe, Freelance for Daily Monitor, Uganda

Femi Asu, Punch, Nigeria

Domingos Bento, redeangola.info, Angola

Thomas Naadi Bitlegma, Viasat1, Ghana

Sheriff Bojang Jnr, Freelance for West Africa Democracy Radio, Senegal

Ruth Butaumocho, The Herald, Zimbabwe

Ibrahima Diallo, Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise (RTS), Senegal

Adewale Olugbenga Emosu, tribuneonlineng.com, Nigeria

Chahinaz Samir Gheith, Freelance for Al-Ahram Hebdo, Egypt

Carla Gonçalves, A Nação, Cape Verde

Boldwill Hungwe, Zimbabwe Independent, Zimbabwe

Ibanga Isine, Premium Times, Nigeria

Paul Kelemba, Freelance for The Standard on Saturday, Kenya

Deo Gratias Tchédé Kindoho, Radio Bénin, Benin

Julie Laurenz & Jacqueline Jayamaha, Freelance for e.tv, South Africa

Petride Mudoola, Freelance for Sunday Vision, Uganda

Abubakari Akida Mussa, Mtanzania, Tanzania

Pedro Paxi Pereira Ndoma, TV Zimbo, Angola

George Oduor Otieno, Baraka FM, Kenya

Hyacinthe Boowurosigue Sanou, L'Observateur Paalga, Burkina Faso

Enock Sikolia & Charles Kariuki, NTV, Kenya

Arison Tamfu, Cameroon Journal, Cameroon

Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún, Blogger at ktravula.com, Nigeria

Arukaino Umukoro, Punch, Nigeria

Bento Venâncio, Jornal Domingo, Mozambique

Herman Verwey, Beeld, South Africa

Kiundu Waweru, The Standard on Saturday, Kenya

Sarah Wild, Mail & Guardian, South Africa

Entries open for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015; expands with 2 new categories as entry process moves a month earlier.

Entries have opened for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015, with 2 new additional categories journalists can enter for, and the entry process moving a month earlier.

African journalist across the continent working in any medium can once again enter for the prestigious journalism competition celebrating its 20th anniversary this year since it first took place in 1995.

After downsizing the number of categories in 2014 from 14 to 11, the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 is once again expanding, keeping all 11 categories and adding a best features award as well as a technology and innovation reporting award to bring the award categories to 13.

Journalists across Africa can enter in the following categories at www.africa.cnnjournalistaward.com with entries closing on 11 May 2015:

• Culture Award
• Dow Technology & Innovation Reporting Award (new category)
• Economics & Business Award
• Features Award (new category)
• Francophone General News Awards
• GE Energy & Infrastructure Award
• Mohamed Amin Photographic Award
• MSD Health & Medical Award
• Portuguese Language General News Award
• Press Freedom Award
• Sport Reporting Award
• The African Development Bank Environment Award
• The Coca-Cola Company News Impact Award

From these category winners the overall winner will be chosen.

Journalists can enter work that was broadcast or appeared in print between January and December 2014.

The finalists will once again attend a finalists' programme that will include a media forum with senior journalists, editors and business leaders before the gala awards ceremony later in the year which will this year be held somewhere in South Africa.

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2015 winner will have the opportunity to participate in the CNN Journalism Fellowship at CNN Headquarters in Atlanta.

"It's with immense pride that we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards," says Tony Maddox, the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International.

"Twenty years of encouraging excellence in journalism across the continent has made these the very best awards honouring the journalistic profession in Africa. I've witnessed first-hand the tremendous growth in stature and prestige of the competition and 2015 promises to deliver another year of outstanding work".

Mark Rayner, chief operating officer (COO) of MultiChoice South Africa says "over the past 20 years this competition has helped journalists throughout Africa tell the stories of our continent to the rest of the world".

"We're proud that our partnership with CNN has given African journalists a voice.We're looking forward to the stories that this year's entrants will bring".

BREAKING. CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014 set for Tanzania; 28 finalist from 10 African countries announced.

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014 is set for Tanzania, with the African continent's most prestigious competition honouring excellence in journalism set to take place on Saturday 18 October in Dar es Salaam.

Isha Sesay of CNN News Center on CNN International (DStv 401) and who has done absolutely stellar reporting and coverage this year on the plight of the missing Nigerian school girls, will again be the host of the awards ceremony as she has been over several previous years.

The names of 28 finalists from 10 countries in the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014 were just announced, with only one South African television entry - M-Net's investigative magazine show Carte Blanche - making the cut as a contender.

Kenya and Kenyan journalists dominate the list of finalists in this year's CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014 with seven entries (8 journalists) in the shortlist.

Besides Carte Blanche, a few other South African print journalists managed to make the list of finalists for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014 competition.

With a dramatic cut-back in categories and a blending of former separate categories - the best TV features award and best TV news bulletin award has for instance been culled.

It's now harder than ever before for TV reporters, TV news producers and journalists working in African television - to make the list of finalist in the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards.

Making the list of finalists in television journalism are Joy Summers and Susan Cromrie for M-Net's Carte Blanche in South Africa.

Brito Simango from Televisao de Mocambique in Mozambique is also a finalist, together with Anne Mawethe and Rashid Ibrahim from Citizen TV in Kenya.

South African finalists on the list of 28 include Vinayak Bhardwaj and Tibelo Timse from the Mail&Guardian Centre for Investigative Journalism from the Mail&Guardian; freelancer Sean Christie for Landbouweekblad; and Paballo Thekiso from the Saturday Star.

The other finalists on this year's list who will be competing for top honours across Africa include:

Daniel Biaou Adje (ORTB, Benin); Safia Berkouk (El Watan, Algeria); Romao Brandao (Journal OPAIS, Angola), Obinna Emelike (Business Day, Nigeria), Ben Ezeamalu and Emmanuel Ogala (Premium Times, Nigeria); Bob Koigi (Farmbizafrica.com, Kenya), freelancer Joseph Mathenge (The Saturday Nation, Kenya); Patrick Mayoyo (Daily Nation, Kenya), Christine Muthee and Oliver Ochanda (MEDEVA, Kenya), Dickson Ng'hily (The Guardian, Tanzania), John Muchangi Njiru (The Star, Kenya), Olatunji Ololade (The Nation, Nigeria), Bayo Olupohunda (Punch, Nigeria); Ossene Ouattara (Infoduzanzan.com,Ivory Coast); freelancer Suy Kahofi (West Africa Democratic Radio, Senegal); Bento Venancio (Journal Domingo,Mozambique) and Evelyn Watta for Sportsnewsarena.com in Kenya.

Tony Maddox, the executive vice-president and managing director of CNN International says he is "proud that the competition "continues to maintain its place as the most prestigious pan-African journalist awards".

Nico Meyer, CEO of MultiChoice Africa says that the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards fg"demonstrates CNN's and MultiChoice's commitment to the development of media in Africa".

"This is a very special year as we celebrate our 10th year of our partnership".

"Thank you for telling the stories of Africa," says Imtiaz Patel, the group CEO of MultiChoice South Africa to the finalists. "We look forward to celebrating your journalistic excellence at the awards in October".

Programming note: CNN showing its own challenges inside Syria in the new upcoming weekend documentary, 72 Hours Under Fire.

CNN International (DStv 401) considers the city of Homs in Syria one of the most dangerous places the international news network's reporters ever had to cover. This weekend CNN International has a gripping one hour special, 72 Hours Under Fire, which will look at how CNN International and its own reporters are struggling to remain safe and get the stories out.

72 Hours Under Fire will show the challenges and dangers CNN reporters face while on assignment in Homs. As told by the journalists who risked their lives to get into Homs and the CNN news executives tasked with keeping them safe, 72 Hours Under Fire will give viewers an inside look at the complexities and risks involved in getting the story out of Syria.

72 Hours Under Fire will be shown on CNN International on Friday 9 March at 22:00 (South African time) with repeats on Saturday 10 March at 11:00 and 22:00, Sunday 04:00 at 04:00 and 12:00. 

''Homs is as challenging an editorial operation as we have encountered,” says Tony Maddox, the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International.

The experienced team CNN sent into Homs included Beirut-based correspondent Arwa Damon, photojournalist Neil Hallsworth and security risk advisor Tim Crockett. 72 Hours Under Fire chronicles their journey into and out of Homs, the dangers they faced while newsgathering and reporting there and why this assignment was different than previous ones. Damon, Hallsworth and Crockett are interviewed by CNN anchor Michael Holmes, who also narrates the documentary.

''We are taking the unusual step of covering our journalists' experience in Homs because it is another piece of the untold story in Syria,'' says Mark Whitaker, the executive vice president and managing editor of CNN Worldwide. ''The fact that the Syrian government doesn't want the world to know what is happening in places like Homs, and the enormous effort and courage it has taken for Western journalists to cover the brutal crackdown there, is part of the story. We thought it was important to take our viewers behind the scenes to see and feel that part of this conflict, too.''

BREAKING. Christiane Amanpour back on CNN International very soon, and on weekdays, with her old-new show, Amanpour.

She's brilliant, she's back - and it will really be as if she never left: CNN International (DStv 401) just announced that Christiane Amanpour, which the global news channel announced in December 2011 would be back on the channel, will return very soon on weekdays to CNN International with her show entitled, Amanpour.

Amanpour was the name of Christiane Amanpour's show which she started in September 2009 and continued to do until she left CNN International in August 2010 for America's ABC network. Now it be as if she never went away.

CNN International just announced that the half hour Amanpour will start very soon on the channel and will be a weekday show broadcast at 22:00 (South African time) and a repeat at 00:00.

ALSO READ: Isha Sesay getting her own, as-yet-untitled new weekday show on CNN International very soon.

The new Amanpour will be part of a major schedule shake-up for CNN International as far as South Africa, African and European viewers are concerned, with the strong journalistic credentials of Amanpour forming the centrepiece of of the dynamic new scheduling line-up.

Liza McGuirk will be the executive producer of Amanpour based in New York with Christiane Amanpour from where Amanpour was done previously.

''We are delighted to see Amanpour return to the heart of CNN International's lineup,'' says Tony Maddox, the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International in a statement just announcing the news.

''Christiane has proven herself time and time again to be the leading international journalist in television news and with Liza's commitment to producing compelling television, Amanpour will showcase the very best CNN has to offer,'' says Tony Maddox.

''I'm thrilled that Christiane's powerful, utterly original journalistic voice will once again be heard around the world, and I look forward to helping her shape an important program at a time of great global change,'' says Liza McGuirk.

With Amanpour, CNN International says it will once again be offering Europe and Africa's viewers ''a destination programme featuring one of the world's most distinguished journalists''.

''Known for her tough questions and extraordinary depth of knowledge, Amanpour will focus on international stories shaping the news agenda, delivering sharp analysis to an audience of more than 280 million households in more than 200 countries and territories around the world with CNN International.''

INTERVIEW. Tony Maddox, managing director of CNN International: 'An incredible year' that 'often feels like a chess board'.

Tony Maddox doesn't run the world. But like a modern era Atlas he does carry a huge responsibility - that of running a 24 hour journalistic media machine that covers the world.

Tony Maddox is the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International (DStv 401) and was in London last week. I had the opportunity to ask Tony Maddox a few questions.

I asked him whether CNN International and the global news operation's resources felt stretched given the massive breaking news and ongoing and unfolding news stories, especially coming from Africa this year. I also wondered about the impact that the explosion of social media is having on CNN, and asked about the many changed the CNN International schedule went through this year.


This has probably been the most tumultuous year for news, and news events, internationally ranging from natural disasters to collective man-made and man-shaped events, as well as resistance to intrusion by governments allowing journalists in places and territories. Has it been harder for CNN International to keep track of it all, to have resources available and get it there, and quickly?
Tony Maddox: It has been an incredible year and extremely hard work for our teams, but actually a lot of the key stories have been rumbling along for a fair amount of time, periodically coming to a head.
If you take the crisis in the European Union (EU), or even the situations in Libya and Egypt, all of those have ebbed and flowed over a period of months and we're able to plan a rotation of crews accordingly.
It's also important to note that we don't just suddenly show up in these places; almost invariably we have a presence on the ground that means we can cover and keep track of breaking stories.
So we're constantly asking ourselves who we need to rotate in or rotate out – it often feels like a chess board, especially this year. But the key is to have a rotation planned around events, so if one story suddenly starts to build, we can easily draft more resources in to cover it.

'we don't just show up in these places; almost invariably we have a presence on the ground'


With the number of magazine news shows specifically devoted to Africa on CNN International growing, there has also been this intense breaking news, as well as on-going hard news narratives this whole year on this continent – civil unrest and now right at the end the climate change conference which CNN all covered in depth.
Did the events taking place in Africa create or cause CNN International to make any permanent or semi-permanent changes in coverage – from how news is gathered and reported to structural changes, for instance more people assigned to Africa on a more permanent or longer basis? How does CNN International see Africa from a news gathering perspective possibly different now than what the case might have been last year or in the past?
Africa is changing all the time, and emerging in stature on the world stage, so I think our investment in our hubs in East Africa and Lagos and increased commitment to Johannesburg have been timely, but they have long been part of our plans.
These hubs have been an enormous help in covering big stories such as Somalia, and I think our COP17 coverage has benefitted greatly from having a strong team on the ground in South Africa, as well as through initiatives such as the CNN Ecosphere, which was a great success.
Our investment in these bureaux means we can react faster to stories in Africa, and deploy additional resources where necessary.
I think, longer term, the key to Africa is to watch closely how it is changing. Investment is coming into the continent all the time from places like China, and there are big home-grown brands in Africa that are making an impact internationally.
I think the perception of the continent has altered for good; if you look at the pace of development I can't see how Africa will fail to increase in global significance, so we see it as a very important part of our newsgathering operation.

'it's important to state that CNN's commitment to Africa is greater than ever'


The CNN International schedule for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region has changed a lot this year – it feels that it's changed a lot more than previous years or in the past. How far is the overall ''plan'' - for instance I would guess that American Morning which we saw, might be replaced by the new show in 2012?
How much might the CNN International schedule for African and South African viewers still change next year because of what CNN is doing at and looking at overall schedule wise? I often hear from people who say they struggle a bit to find out where their show moved to, or if it's still on.
I think it's important to state that CNN's commitment to Africa is greater than ever. Our African programmes have a very loyal following, and are successful for us as a channel, and we're also looking at ways to improve their presence online and on mobile.
I would hope viewers are always able to find out when their favourite show is airing, either from the programme pages on CNN.com, our on-air promos, or through local listings.
Of course we are always looking at our schedule to make sure it works as well as possible, but the viewers are at the heart of that process.
Naturally we also want to bring our African content to international audiences, but we want to make sure we're bringing our viewers in Africa the programmes they want at the right times, so that will always underpin our philosophy.

What is the feeling about Inside Africa, African Voices, Marketplace Africa and what these shows have been doing so far?
I think all three shows offer something different, not just for audiences in Africa, but also for international viewers looking to find out more about the continent.
They work extremely well as a triumvirate, but also as programmes within their own right. The key for us is to make sure they remain relevant and that is down to the production teams, which I think are among the most committed in the network.
There is real passion there, and I think the stories, the quality of the guests, and the presentation of the shows themselves reflects that. We're also looking at how we add to their presence online and on mobile, both of which are important for audiences in Africa and elsewhere. These programmes are here to stay.

'social media is no substitute for professional journalism'


With social media is it becoming easier for CNN International to report and find and source news, the same, or more difficult, or how is social media changing the news gathering aspect on the one side for CNN and with the news delivery on the other side? How has it changed even this year from previous years?
Social media has become an integral and accepted part of the newsgathering process in a very short period of time; but it has also been central to many stories, from the riots in London to the uprisings in Cairo and Tripoli. We're also seeing governments and police forces using it too.
I think as journalists social media is extremely exciting, but we have to be wary about its use. Firstly, and most importantly, social media is no substitute for professional journalism. In fact, its increasing prominence makes the rigour and experience of professional newsgathering organisations more crucial than ever.

What working in this new environment boils down to, is actually quite simple – it's good journalism.
It's about looking to as many sources as possible – including, but not limited to social media – to get the fullest picture of a story.

That's where the skill, training and professionalism of our editorial staff come in, and those elements remain critical to our approach.
We also use social media to communicate with our audiences – our journalists use Twitter enthusiastically and many have followings in five figures – and we use it alongside TV and online to break stories.
We also have CNN iReport, which is our citizen journalism platform.
iReport now has almost a million registered contributors and submissions from around the world, and the latest version has many features that introduce a social platform too, so that aspect of community is getting closer to the heart of what we do.
So I think we're embracing social media in the right way, giving audiences more of what they would expect from CNN.