January 2007

CNN, GW Conclude Partnership

From September 2001 to October 2006, 779 CNN Programs Were Produced in GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium


By Matt Lindsay

Over the past five years CNN has been more than simply another cable news network in the eyes of the GW community. CNN programming was not just seen on televisions on campus, it was actually produced, with the help of GW students, faculty, and staff, in front of a studio audience in the University’s Jack Morton Auditorium. From September 2001 to October 2006 the joint venture between CNN and GW allowed nearly 124,000 students, faculty, staff, and members of the general public to join the studio audience for CNN programs. In all, 779 of the networks’ programs were produced at GW.

At the end of February the curtain will close on one of the longest running and most unique partnerships in GW history. Citing its continuing changes in programming, CNN has decided to conclude its joint venture with the University.
“CNN has provided GW students with one of the most unique media opportunities ever offered on an American college campus, and it is a source of great pride that 274 students worked on the productions of Crossfire, On the Story, Reliable Sources, and a number of specials for both CNN and CNN International,” says GW Vice President for Communications Michael Freedman, who negotiated and managed the University’s joint venture with CNN. “This project is the result, first and foremost, of the vision of GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, who was responsible for the construction of the Media and Public Affairs Building, ensured that the 240-seat Jack Morton Auditorium was a key component of the facility, and supported the joint venture every step of the way. Once in place, the project succeeded because of the tremendous enthusiasm and participation of our GW
students, faculty, and staff.”

The exceptional partnership provided the University with exposure in millions
of living rooms and offices around the world and to the thousands of visitors who joined the studio audience. The CNN at GW partnership helped the University crack the Newsweek-Kaplan College Guide, which named GW one of its “Hot Colleges” in 2003 and the “Hottest for Political Junkies” in 2005. GW was also listed as
the country’s fifth “most politically active” school by The Princeton Review. The programming drew luminaries such as Sen. Hillary Clinton and Jon Stewart to campus, not to mention the frequent sightings of Crossfire hosts James Carville, Paul Begala, Robert Novak, and Tucker Carlson. CNN programming also served as a component of at least four academic courses at GW.

Spanning more than three years and 730 live programs, CNN’s Crossfire was the
signature show produced at GW for the majority of the partnership. In the past year and a half CNN’s On the Story and Reliable Sources have combined to tape
43 programs at GW.

In a statement CNN thanked everyone at GW for their efforts, saying “The George Washington University has been a great partner and provided a terrific forum for the last five years.”

Freedman views the close of the joint venture with CNN as an intermission rather than the end of network programming at GW. He added that the University is currently in discussions with other networks with a goal of bringing new programming to GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium that involves students and the broader GW community. And it’s anticipated CNN will continue to produce special programming from the GW campus on a periodic basis.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu