CNN25: Wednesday Summary

Twenty five years. That’s a lot of stories, Jim Walton noted in a memo to staff today. On this day in 1980, Ted Turner created a global village, and it is one of his proudest achievements, he told us today.

“CNN has become part of our lexicon,” Sanjay Gupta said today. “CNN is a brand that has had enormous impact around the world,” Jon Klein added. (Don’t miss the three-part CNN reflections series: Parts one, two and three).

The World Report Conference emphasized the international scope of CNN. A panel on the tsunami transitioned into a call to action. The conference concluded with several stories of survival, from Rwanda, Columbine and Sept. 11. This evening, it was time to celebrate.

> I haven’t seen CNN’s “Defining Moments” special yet; I’m going to catch the rerun. An e-mailer says it was great: “CNN has a special talent at putting these types of pieces together.”

> Ted Turner seems to tell anyone who will listen that he wants more international news on CNN/U.S. CNN staffers and international delegates seem to agree: And Klein noted that the simulcast of “Your World Today” will begin on Monday.

> CNN is looking ahead to 25 more years, with the creation of a “CNN Scholars Program.”

> “In all the CNN25 coverage this week, I’ve seen a name left out: Reese Schonfeld,” Don e-mails. “Ted may have had the vision, but Reese made it happen. Now CNN acts like he never existed… why?”

> Previously: Tuesday summary | Monday summary