CNN First With News Of New Executions

CNN was ahead of the pack when news of the execution of Saddam Hussein‘s co-defendants broke in Baghdad late Sunday night.

Rick Sanchez anchored on CNN/U.S. before handing it over to CNNI at 12:04am, ICN says. The network had rolling coverage for about an hour, while the other cablers stuck with short updates.

At one point, correspondent Arwa Damon interviewed a source via phone in Arabic “for a good three minutes trying to get a clear answer because he was having a small bit of trouble in English,” an e-mailer says. “She exemplified what knowledgeable reporters can contribute to networks.”