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CNN named number one international news channel

CNN International is the number one international news channel in daily, weekly and monthly reach, according to the Ipsos Affluent Survey Middle East. The independent industry research study shows that the CNN International TV channel reaches 20% of the Middle East’s elite population every month and this reach increases to 28% when CNN International‘s digital properties are added to the scale of linear TV.

“CNN has made a sustained commitment to the Middle East for many years now,” says Rani Raad, President, CNN International Commercial.”We launched CNN Arabic and have continued to invest in the service; in the last year we have unveiled new studios and facilities at our major production hubs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and we have moved our flagship show Connect the World to be produced and broadcast from the region. We are proud that our approach across TV and digital continues to resonate with Middle Eastern audiences as well as our commercial partners across the region.”

Turner EMEA appoints new VP

Turner Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) has promoted Tarek Mounir to the role of Vice President and General Manager Turkey, Middle East, North Africa (MENA), Greece and Cyprus. Previously General Manager for MENA, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus, in his new role Tarek will be reporting to Giorgio Stock, President, Turner EMEA, where he will continue to lead the region as well as be more involved in with the company on a senior level.

“This promotion recognises Tarek’s role in aggressively developing Turner’s presence in the region and driving significant growth, across both free to air and pay TV platforms and in the non-linear space,” says Giorgio.

Rani Raad, President, CNN International Commercial, adds “Tarek has done an outstanding job of building strong teams whose creativity and enterprise across Turner’s expanding Middle East portfolio have helped drive an overall growth trajectory in an increasingly important market.”

CNN partners with McLaren Technology Group

CNN International has officially entered into a multi-year global partnership with McLaren Technology Group and is McLaren-Honda’s new partner for the 2015 Formula One season and beyond. For the 2015 season, this will see CNN’s branding appear on the front-wing endplates of the new McLaren-Honda MP4-30 Formula 1 car, which will be unveiled in an online launch on January 29, 2015. The partnership also allows for CNN’s use of McLaren’s soon-to-open thought leadership centre, based within the McLaren Technology Campus in Woking, Surrey, UK, from which CNN International will produce several programmes to be broadcast globally across its network.

“This is a groundbreaking partnership between two trusted brands with a passion for high performance and continued innovation,” says Rani Raad, Chief Commercial Officer, CNN International. “Committed to being first, we share a mutual respect for each other’s operations – whether that’s the tenacity of CNN journalists in going to the heart of a story or McLaren’s forensic focus for every F1 race. With a shared global footprint and highly engaged audience, there’s a lot of expertise and best practice that we can both invest in this partnership. The added exposure that CNN International will gain through our association with McLaren is part of an expansive consumer engagement initiative to capitalise on the power of our brand. The additional business, broadcasting and cross-marketing opportunities made possible by this multi-year deal will forge a close relationship between two companies on the world stage.”

Rob Dennis, Chairman and CEO of McLaren Technology Group adds, “There is an inherent symmetry between McLaren and CNN that makes us perfectly attuned for partnership. Like McLaren, CNN is a tremendously powerful and influential global network, one that has spent decades pioneering the latest technologies and techniques in a relentless, unforgiving, fast-paced environment. I think we understand each other on many levels. The partnership between McLaren and CNN is unique in that it operates on a very broad scope. Our shared love of technology has united us: together we will pursue new opportunities far beyond the conventional scope of a Formula 1 partnership.”