News Broadcasting
CNN expands newsgathering operations in UAE
MUMBAI: Continuing its growth and investment in international newsgathering, CNN Worldwide has begun expansion in its operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This includes the appointment of a new international correspondent, a new bureau chief and the opening of an office with full broadcast and production capabilities in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.
The expanded operation in the UAE combines broadcast production facilities in the new Abu Dhabi Media Zone, with increased newsgathering operations set up alongside an existing editorial team for the CNNArabic.com. In addition to the expansion into Abu Dhabi, CNN also retains its base in Dubai, which has an increased newsgathering role for CNN alongside the main CNNArabic.com operation.
This expansion of operations in the UAE is instrumental in developing the network’s coverage of the Gulf region and beyond, and supports current CNN bureaus in Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo and Jerusalem.
As part of that expansion, a Middle-East correspondent for ABC News, Wilf Dinnick, becomes an international correspondent for CNN. Samson Desta, who becomes bureau chief, formerly worked as a supervising editor on CNN’s International Desk.
CNN International executive VP, MD Tony Maddox says, “This is a major step forward for CNN as we ramp up our newsgathering capabilities around the world. Besides, the UAE is the perfect location for an operation of this kind both editorially and logistically. This announcement comes quickly on the heels of the details that we recently released about additional resources in India, Korea and Japan. In the coming weeks, we will announce new editorial operations in Africa and parts of Europe.”
These new appointments and extended resources are all part of CNN’s on-going and major investment programmes in both newsgathering and editorial resources to generate and own more content for all of its platforms.
As bureau chief, Samson Desta will be the co-ordinator of coverage from both offices and will oversee the building of the infrastructure in key countries in the region, notably Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Africa, as well as across the Middle East. Desta, who has been with CNN for more than 10 years, moves into this new role after serving as supervising editor on CNN’s International Desk, where he played a central role in co-ordinating coverage around the world for all of CNN’s networks and services. Major stories include international reaction to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the tsunami in South Asia and the death of Pope John Paul II.
Joining CNN as the new UAE-based international correspondent, Wilf Dinnick comes from ABC News, where he served as a Middle-East correspondent. Prior to that, he worked for Canada’s Global National, CBC and CTV.
Dinnick has covered Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, the South Asia tsunami, Haiti, the Ukraine and many other top stories in recent years. He will support CNN’s editorial needs across the region, which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Africa and the Middle East.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
