Today CNN’s Ali Velshi started his new role at the channel, anchoring a one-hour edition of CNN International “World Business Today.” That is in addition to his weekend program on CNN/U.S. and his regular appearances on CNN primetime covering the intersection of business and politics.
“For a business journalist in 2012, I have about the best gig going,” Velshi told TVNewser. “I will be doing stuff for a global audience every morning, which is their primetime. The show is 7 PM in India, 10 PM in Hong Kong, 11 PM in Tokyo, those audiences are very financially sophisticated.”
It also means that he can wake up at a more reasonable hour, although he will be spread out more across the many CNN platforms.
“I had my first full night of rest [last Monday], it has been a long time on the mornings,” he added. I will be doing business like I used to for primetime, reporting and providing commentary and analysis from probably 4PM onward. It is going to be a long and weird schedule, but it sort of fits what I have been doing recently on different platforms.”
Velshi also expects to continue contributing to CNN’s election coverage. The CNN anchor manned the “Social Media Screen,” during the Iowa Caucus, and while it is unclear whether that exact tech will continue to be used, Velshi says he plans on being a part of it.
“I have been one of the few people who tackles whatever new tech we are introducing for election coverage,” he says. “It was holograms at one point, and now it is the social media screen. Part of it is because I like trying out the new stuff, and I like the technology, and I don’t really care much if it is a little glitchy or we haven’t fine-tuned it. I like growing with it.”
That said, he is also aware of the potential negatives associated with gimmicky tech.
“I absolutely think it can make it more complicated,” he says. “We are all very excited by the technology, and I think we have to remind ourselves to pull back a little and are giving people good, relevant information.”