CNN has opened a new state of the art production centre in the Middle East. The Abu Dhabi facility will co-ordinate seven regional bureaux and act as the base for a daily news programme.
“The Middle East has played a significant role in CNN’s heritage and is part of our DNA, two of our earliest bureaus were in Cairo and Jerusalem,” said Tony Maddox, managing director and executive vice president of CNN International. “The establishment of a permanent broadcast and production centre in the Middle East by CNN is a significant and unique move by a Western news broadcaster.”
CNN Abu Dhabi will coordinate newsgathering for the seven CNN operations in the region: Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Dubai, Jerusalem, Kabul and Islamabad. It will sit along 32 international newsgathering operations including digital production centres in Hong Kong, London, Mexico City and Atlanta.
The new programme Prism, presented by Stan Grant will run Sunday to Thursday at 17.00 GMT/21.00 UAE, building on a personality led schedule of news and reportage fronted by Christiane Amanpour, Richard Quest, Becky Anderson, Fionnuala Sweeney, Michael Holmes and Hala Gora. CNN Abu Dhabi will also be the home to CNN features Inside the Middle East and Marketplace Middle East.
