CNN International

CNN International is a English language pay TV network available in most of the world that is owned by Time Warner. It predominantly carries news and current affairs programming.

There are five variants of CNN International:

• CNN International Europe/Middle East/Africa based in London
• CNN International Asia Pacific based in Hong Kong
• CNN International South Asia based in Hong Kong
• CNN International in Latin America based in Atlanta
• CNN International North America based in Atlanta

Each has a different schedule to the others. The London and Hong Kong bureaus produce 50 and 30 hours per week of programming respectively, the others substancially less.

Occasionally CNNI draws from the CNN/US feed for news coverage and for programmes such as Larry King Live. In rare circumstances, the CNN/US network will turn to CNNI newscasts (primarily, when major international news breaks during the night-time in the US) (A notable case was during the death of Pope John Paul II). CNNI will also air CNN/US newscasts whenever major events happen in the United States.

The international aspect of the channel is symbolised by a small spinning globe next to the standard CNN logo.

The network began emissions in 1985, primarily broadcasting to American tourists in hotels. The early studios in Atlanta were tucked away in various corners of the CNN Center, and the newsroom lacked even a digital clock. But in 1994, a major new newsroom and studio complex was built, as CNN decided to compete against the BBC World Service by offering a network that was American, while also being internationally oriented.

On March 10, 1999, while speaking at Harvard, Eason Jordan thanked Fidel Castro for inspiring the creation of CNN International.[1]

In the US, CNNI North America was distributed during overnights and weekends on the CNNfn financial channel, until that channel's demise in December 2004. It is now available in its own right on a limited basis.

There are also a number of wholly owned and joint-venture CNN news channels that don't have English as their primary language.

Controversies

Many non-American viewers feel the channel is too American to be considered a truely "international" channel. For example, during the O. J. Simpson trial, nearly everything broadcast was on this topic. This was despite other events that were happening that were considered by many to be more important on a global scale.

External links

• CNN International Website