CNN opens new Abu Dhabi broadcast facility

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CNN opens new Abu Dhabi broadcast facility

ABU DHABI, UAE -- CNN opened a new broadcast facility in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The new bureau, located in twofour 54's Yas Creative Hub, is expected to increase the scale and scope of CNN's operations in the UAE and is one of the network's key international production hubs, along with Atlanta, New York, London and Hong Kong.

The new multi-million dollar Abu Dhabi hub is equipped with the latest broadcast technology, including an 80 square metre studio. The studio has 10 million pixels of video wall and a suite of fully robotic cameras, while the facility also has four dedicated craft edit suites and uses hybrid digital and IP video audio workflows to enable the highest quality, fully integrated production.

Abu Dhabi has been a key hub in CNN's global operation since 2009, and the network's decision to open a new office at twofour 54's Yas Creative Hub is seen as a significant investment in the region. The new facility is expected to supercharge CNN's operation in Abu Dhabi.

It will also be the base for Connect the World with Becky Anderson, which has been operating from Abu Dhabi since 2014.

Anderson, Anchor Managing Editor, CNN Abu Dhabi, said the new facility would improve the network's ability to tell stories from the region and beyond. She said that everything they have built in Abu Dhabi, from the state-of-the-art studio and production facilities to the workspace itself, is geared towards collaborative, multi-platform content creation.

Mike McCarthy, EVP and General Manager, CNN International, said Monday that CNN Abu Dhabi is a key part of the network's global newsgathering and programming operation. He said that this investment underscores that importance.

The second cohort of academicians recently welcomed the CNN Academy Abu Dhabi, which is located in Abu Dhabi. The academy challenges students to investigate and report on a fictional breaking news story in a realistic, fast-paced setting via a hi-tech newsroom simulation.