I just saw the trailer for Paula's new programme. Slightly different graphics than what CNN normally does (less in your face). Also looks like a few interesting interviews and a more relaxed setting than CNN's typical hard news programmes.
Might be worth a watch.
Monday night, 8pm EASTERN (that's 1 am in London) on domestic CNN.
They're looking to CNNI for inspiration for names, it seems. "Paula Zahn NOW" and "Anderson Cooper 360º"... (AsiaNow - and I'm sure we'll see a EuropeNow soon - and Design360). Hmmm...
Bloody hell - I wonder how many afternoons in the pub it took for them to come up with 'Paula Zahn Now'... Maybe it's preparation for the new CNN Paula Zahn Channel, featuring the pre-show warm-up 'Paula Zahn In A Bit', and the aftershow 'Paula Zahn Just Then'. And not to forget the breakfast show 'Paula Zahn When She Wakes Up'.
As for 'Anderson Cooper 360', does this title actually make any sense? Does this mean that he'll gradually rotate during the hour, so that he'll read the headlines at the bottom of the hour with his back to the camera?
Don't get me wrong - these programmes sound like they could be good. But the names sound totally naff.
As for 'Anderson Cooper 360', does this title actually make any sense? Does this mean that he'll gradually rotate during the hour, so that he'll read the headlines at the bottom of the hour with his back to the camera?
Perhaps he'll rotate at a similar speed to the Fox News logo - not slow enough to get boring, but not so fast that he gets sick.
Alternatively, they could present the entire programme in bullet-time.
Nice bit of cheese from the 'Anderson Cooper 360' page on the CNN website...
Quote:
ANDERSON COOPER 360° is a fast-moving, surprising and provocative alternative to the typical network evening newscast. Backed by the global resources of CNN, Anderson's anchor desk is Central Command for a 360-degree look at world events -- covering not only the day's top stories, but the fascinating, the unexpected and the underreported. ANDERSON COOPER 360° -- where your world comes full circle.
Oh dear... I knew it was supposed to be like a news version of ESPN Sportscenter, but this just sounds naff. 'Central Command'???!
And is Anderson Cooper actually interesting enough to have a programme named after him and based around him? Whenever I've seen him he's always struck me as a rather average news presenter. Although I guess they're looking to appeal to a younger audience who know him from that reality show he hosted.
As I've said before, I like the idea of a news channel having a diverse schedule with lots of different styles of programme, but I also think that CNN should put more effort into creating programmes that stand up by themselves rather than revolving around the presenter.