CNN International & Domestic

CNNi dropped The Lead tonight for extended coverage from Hala Gorani in London and Richard Quest in New York.

Going by the transcript they showed a fair bit of PMQ's 'direct' (over five minutes) before doing what you saw
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1812/12/nday.03.html

Different arrangements to usual this Christmas. Normally whenever Christmas Eve/Day fall on a weekday in recent years late morning/lunchtime GMT have come from London, and everything else from the US. This year though late morning/lunchtime GMT has been from Hong Kong, with London on afternoon/evening GMT

PS - One thing as usual, Richard Quest pulling Christmas Crackers on air with production staff

Worth noting it’s live in the US which surprising me. Fox News is Live, MSNBC is airing Dateline Extra.

It ain't Christmas without Quest!

Not sure of what the exact hours were today, but CNN/US is usually live on Christmas Day 9amET-1/2pmET (plus live headlines in pre-recorded New Day)

"If in doubt, pull one yourself" - Richard Quest, 25th December 2018.

The crackers aren’t a thing here in the US. I wondered what they were as every store had some in stock but they never really in any bulk amount and never seemed to move. TMYK sponsored by CNN.

Tonight's 1900GMT CNN Newsroom (as listed on the cnn.com schedule) is being branded as Hala Gorani Tonight - maybe down to Hala anchoring, but earlier there was CNN Newsroom with Kristie Lu Stout in the Newstream slot, and CNN Newsroom with Robyn Curnow in the iDesk slot

Perhaps it was still the "holidays" at CNN until 9am eastern or something.

Does anyone know CNN London plans for the big move this year?

The technical fit-out was out for tender in September.