CNN Dresses Up “Election Center”

By Chris Ariens 



Wolf Blitzer gets ready for Iowa Caucus coverage from CNN’s Time Warner Center studios in New York with CNN DC VP David Bohrman in the distance. Blitzer, Anderson Cooper and Lou Dobbs will lead the network’s coverage beginning at 4pmET and will run “late into the night,” with Larry King hosting a special edition of his show at Midnight ET.


Wolf Blitzer with Anderson Cooper, Lou Dobbs Lead Iowa Caucus Coverage
CNN Unveils New Election Center in New York with Innovative Graphics Capabilities

CNN will marshal its extensive resources and political expertise for wall-to-wall coverage of the Iowa caucuses today. Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, along with Anderson Cooper and Lou Dobbs, will guide the network’s special coverage of the Iowa caucuses out of the new CNN Election Center in New York.
CNN’s Iowa caucus programming will begin at 8 p.m. (ET) and run late into the night with Larry King hosting a special edition of Larry King Live at midnight (ET) featuring the latest analysis and insight into Iowa caucus results. Throughout the coverage, CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien and senior political analyst Bill Schneider will report from the new CNN Election Center as they review “entrance” polls of Iowans heading to caucus.
The CNN Election Center is the network’s new political nerve center located in CNN’s broadcast headquarters in New York. CNN’s team of statisticians and political analysts will pore over data and polling information to bring viewers the most accurate results as voters are caucusing and then as results come in.
Because of the nature of this election season – with an array of viable candidates, no incumbents running from either party and a compressed primary calendar – CNN has created a whole new way to visualize these races. The power of the network’s new election graphics will be particularly apparent on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008, for Super Tuesday as more than 20 states go to the polls to choose from among numerous candidates. The Election Center and its new graphics capabilities will be integral to CNN’s reporting during upcoming primary and caucus nights, the conventions in the summer and the general election on Nov. 4, 2008.
Throughout the day and evening on Jan. 3, CNN’s Emmy Award-winning political team will offer the latest news and thoughtful analysis. Reporting from the field in Iowa and New Hampshire will be Dana Bash, congressional correspondent; Candy Crowley, senior political correspondent; Tom Foreman, correspondent; Chris Lawrence, correspondent; Dan Lothian, Boston bureau chief; Joe Johns, correspondent; John Roberts, American Morning anchor; Mary Snow, correspondent; and Jessica Yellin, congressional correspondent.
Gloria Borger, senior political analyst; Jack Cafferty, commentator; David Gergen, senior political analyst; John King, chief national correspondent; Suzanne Malveaux, White House correspondent; and Jeff Toobin, legal analyst will provide analysis throughout the day from CNN’s Election Center in New York. CNN’s nationally-known contributors Carl Bernstein, Bill Bennett, Donna Brazile and Roland Martin will also be providing information and insights from the Election Center.
In addition, CNN will offer up-to-the minute reporting and analysis at CNNPolitics.com and on the CNN Political Ticker at www.CNN.com/ticker. CNN.com Live will have extended coverage of the results, with CNN.com anchor Melissa Long co-anchoring the coverage from the Election Center New York and CNN.com anchor Reggie Aqui co-anchoring from Atlanta.
CNN Radio will provide live anchored coverage of the caucuses with Lisa Desjardins anchoring from Iowa. CNN Newsource will provide its affiliates access to reports and live shots on-site from correspondent Samantha Hayes. CNN International will simulcast CNN/U.S. coverage from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. (ET) while Headline News will air CNN/U.S. coverage at the top of each hour.
Each month in 2008, CNN Student News will be “Talking Democracy” by introducing an election-year topic in the show and online. From caucus to convention and primary to poll, CNN Student News will break down these election-year concepts. Teachers, parents and students can find the CNN Student News program and its curriculum materials online at www.CNNStudentNews.com and on Headline News from Monday through Friday at 4 a.m. (ET)

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