Christiane Amanpour returns to CNN Worldwide
Christiane Amanpour is the host of a new daily foreign affairs programme simply titled Amanpour, which debuted on April 17 on CNN International in Asia. The 30-minute daily broadcast airs Tuesdays to Saturdays at 5pm HKT and 10pm HKT.
“We are delighted to have Christiane back at CNN,” said Tony Maddox, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for CNN International. “Christiane’s sophisticated, incisive journalism is needed now, more than ever to add context and depth to the world’s biggest news and stories.”
As a companion digital presence to the programme, CNN also launched Amanpour.com. Users of CNN.com/international and Amanpour.com are able to view excerpts of the daily broadcasts of Amanpour. Both websites also receive editorial contributions from Christiane Amanpour, the show team, and in-depth insights and commentary from a wide array of foreign policy experts.
Amanpour has been at ABC News as Global Affairs Anchor up until this deal was finalised. In the unique relationship announced in December, Amanpour will remain primarily as global affairs anchor for ABC News, where her ongoing assignments range from the uprisings in the Middle East to Iran’s nuclear program to the Eurozone crisis.
FremantleMedia CEO Cohen exits, Frot-Coutaz steps up
LUXEMBOURG/ LONDON/LOS ANGELES – RTL Group has announced that Tony Cohen will step down from his role as CEO of FremantleMedia. Cécile Frot-Coutaz succeeds Cohen and will be based in London, effective 1 July 2012.
According to the company’s statement, Cohen will leave to focus on his non-executive work.
Guillaume de Posch, Co-CEO of RTL Group, together with Anke Schäferkordt, said: “I want to thank Tony Cohen for his outstanding achievements. Under his leadership, the company has become the pre-eminent producer of hit prime-time global entertainment formats in dozens of countries, a top distributor and brand licensor, and a rapidly growing force in online and mobile gaming, branded entertainment and kids.”
Currently, Frot-Coutaz, as CEO of FremantleMedia North America (FMNA), oversees the development, production and business operations of over 600 hours of network, cable and syndicated programming.
Endemol names new CEO
LONDON, AMSTERDAM – Endemol, the world’s largest independent production company, announced that Group President Marco Bassetti has decided to step down from the company.
Marco Bassetti first joined Endemol in December 1997 when Aran, the leading Italian production company he founded in 1989, was acquired by the Group. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Endemol Group in October 2007 and was promoted to President of Endemol Group in August 2009. Since June 2011, he has been working alongside CFO Just Spee as joint interim CEO of Endemol.
Following Bassetti’s departure, CFO Just Spee will be appointed CEO of the Group.
Just Spee joined Endemol as CFO in 2010, and since June 2011 has effectively been managing the company alongside former Group President Marco Bassetti.
During this period, the business has outperformed budgeted EBITDA, delivering year-on-year revenue growth of 10 percent to nearly 1.4 billion Euros in spite of a challenging market. At the same time, the company made decisive steps towards a capital restructuring and is now in the final stages of this process.
Arnaud Verlhac joins euronews
LYON, FRANCE – Arnaud Verlhac has joined international news channel euronews. Michael Peters, CEO of euronews, appointed Verlhac as Deputy Director of Worldwide Distribution, with the role of developing the channel’s international distribution across all broadcast platforms and in the out-ofhome market.
Besides strengthening the current contracts, Verlhac is also tasked with launching the channel in new markets, developing its footprint in the United States and Asia, and increasing its distribution revenues.
Before joining euronews, Arnaud Verlhac had a four-year spell at France 24, where he had been Distribution Director (North and South America) since 2009. He was previously a Global Account Manager for Carlson Wagon Lit (2006 – 2008). Verlhac began his career in 2001 at Air France; after several posts, he became a Contract Manager in the International Commercial Directorate.
