The largest name of world journalism brings to Brazil the project that goes beyond a TV station
By: Adalberto Leister Filho
Big Mac had been successful in Australia and Japan for eight years when the Brazilian public came to know the composition of two hamburgers, lettuce, cheese, special sauce, onion and pickles. The international expansion of McDonald’s, an American restaurant chain created in the 1940s, only met Brazil in the Rio de Janeiro summer of 1979.
There was much speculation about receptivity to another country’s eating habits. The solution was simple: use the formula of excellence to make a product by Brazilians for Brazilians. A year later, media entrepreneur Ted Turner opened the world’s first news channel in Atlanta: “Cable News Network”. CNN arrived to change the concept of journalism in the world. It grew, branched out in dozens of countries, and started flirting with Brazil. Like the brand from the same country, it waited to land here. And who is behind the arrival of CNN Brazil ensures: it is the right time, the right way. The secret for the model to work is using the formula of excellence to make a product by Brazilians for Brazilians.
For an industry shrinking and eroded by periodic layoffs, the company’s arrival and strategy emerge as the best news for Brazilian journalism in recent years. Go Where Business had exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the new company and got to know the Brazilian version of the world’s premier news channel, which promises to vie for a niche dominated by GloboNews. CNN Brazilians work today at a temporary headquarters in the Jardins neighborhood of São Paulo, but are preparing to relocate in the coming months. The venue was handpicked: an iconic building on Avenida Paulista, the most important avenue of the largest city in Latin America. “We thought of offering a different experience to the public: our headquarters in the center of the country’s largest city, close to the people,” says Douglas Tavolaro, Founder and CEO of CNN Brasil, hoping the building’s facade will be a new tourist spot in São Paulo’s main avenue. ”
CNN Brasil facade on Paulista Avenue, in São Paulo
Important presenters
Work is at a rapid pace on the mezzanines of the former Banco Real building. Workers work on the two-story adaptation of the space in front of the Trianon-Masp subway station in the financial heart of Sao Paulo. When in operation, there will be 4,000 m² of area, with 800 m² for three studios where the newscasts of the station will be presented. The project foresees the construction of one of the most modern newsrooms in the country, those “editorial offices-studios” used in TV news, such as Jornal Nacional.
William Waack and Evaristo Costa, leading names in Brazilian television journalism, have already been hired. Mari Palma, Phelipe Siani and Luciana Barreto, new talents from Grupo Globo, were also announced. According to Tavolaro, other names known to the general public will be announced soon. This cast of presenters will join a team of 400 journalists (700 employees in all) in a highly contested selection. A few days after announcing an email address for candidates to apply for working at the future station, CNN Brasil received over 35,000 resumes. “There will be 24 hours of journalism, 16 hours of which with live programming,” says the CEO.
In addition to its headquarters, CNN Brasil will have newsrooms in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro, as well as correspondents in London and New York, promising special coverage in major cities around the world with broadcast signals exclusive to CNN International. The reverse will also occur, according to the plans of the Brazilian team: CNN Brazil reporters will enter live or in special reports in English, when the topic is of interest abroad to CNN present in more than 200 countries. A showcase never seen before in national journalism.
Commercial VP Marcus Vinicius Chisco, former Globosat and broadcasters executive: “Big brands in the market will be protagonists in our project”.
The daring project aims not only to compete with GloboNews, but also to transform the Brazilian subsidiary into the main CNN outside the United States. And the first moves led Americans to believe in the goal. A top CNN International team was in São Paulo in late July and was delighted with the level of professionalism found. It was the last of several trips made in the technical consulting process to set up CNN Brasil.
The quick planning and the execution of an operation that began in February has impressed those accustomed to similar deployments in more developed countries. “It is an important exchange of experiences. A group of super-skilled executives from Atlanta, New York, and London have contributed to the setting-up the channel,” says Américo Martins, Vice President of Content at CNN Brasil, hired after spending 16 years at BBC London, another major worldwide news channel.
The strength of young talents
Couple that became known on TV Globo for their informal style reports, Mari Palma and Phelipe Siani are names that CNN Brasil has hired to attract young audiences and conquer all of the channel’s platforms.
Siani worked for 13 years at Globo as a reporter at Jornal Nacional. With light and fun text, he stood out for addressing complex topics such as economics, in an way that is easy to understand. “Being one of the anchors of the largest news channel in the world is something that feels like butterflies in my stomach, which is essential to face the challenges that journalism has going forward,” said Siani. Mari Palma was known for presenting Boletim G1 em 1 Minuto (G1 1 Minute Report). A social networks phenomenon, Palma has over 1.3 million followers on Instagram. Her informal style led her to participate in other programs on the network, such as Fantástico and Mais Você. She worked at Globo for 11 years. “If one day I was told that I would be a CNN host, I would never believe it. I don’t even have the clothes for that! Kidding aside, I can’t wait to be part of this project that I’m already so proud of, ” says Palma.
Another talent already announced is Luciana Barreto, who worked as a reporter for Canal Futura from Grupo Globo. “It is a big challenge to reach the largest broadcaster in the world. I keep looking back and see that we have gone far and still have much to grow together. I say we went because I always have this feeling of collectivity. I want to add a lot with a closer look at social issues, always within a journalism that respects the diversity of Brazilians, ” says the journalist. (from the editorial staff)
The technical numbers also impress. There will be 130 news production stations, 25 content post-production stations and more than 800 screens spread across the channel’s production and operation areas. State-of-the-art equipment such as cameras, switchers, and video software that enable multimedia integration and speed to information sharing are already being manufactured especially for the channel in the United States and Asia.
Its presence on various platforms, in addition to cable TV, provides for the customized manufacturing of the latest in video applications and reports, podcasts, newsletters and news sites, following exactly the same model as CNN. The entire look will rigorously follow the colors, subtitles and acclaimed layout of the North American channel. A dedicated team of dozens of professionals is already designing the digital programming grid and digital intelligence framework. “Unlike other broadcasters, which had to adapt to the growth of the internet, CNN Brasil’s team will be born a multiplatform content producer,” explains Virgilio Abranches, Vice President of Programming and Multiplatform.
New TV model
There is where one of the secrets of operation of CNN Brasil is kept. The implemented television model is unprecedented in the country. The channel has the advantage of being born from scratch, utilizing the latest in technology in its TV operations system, optimizing and saving expenses in departments not linked to its core business: Journalism. As a result, it has been able to reduce costs in engineering services, digital development and management, signal broadcast and screening and other activities such as image capture, production of content, headlines and previews and even programming grid, untouchable areas among TV stations up to a few years ago. International broadcasters, like CNN itself, have been working like this for many years.
The optimization model spreads across other sectors of the company. Its staff is being assembled to make the most of the benefits of outsourcing law and labor reform. Open TV’s format of producing journalism, with its own teams and equipment, at very high costs, is part of the past. It was as if a large pharmaceutical company invested more in trucks and drivers than its team of scientists to produce new drugs.
For the construction and management of its technical facility, for example, CNN Brasil has entered into an innovative partnership with producer Casablanca, one of the largest in the country, which has among its customers groups such as Fox, Sony, HBO and Bloomberg. To cover news across the country, it will have reporters in major capitals in partnership with regional groups to produce content, without the millionaire cost of the old model of affiliation of regular broadcasters. And this is reproduced in the administrative, patrimonial and business areas. “The future is today for CNN Brazil. We are motivated to implement an economic and rational model of television journalism in all sectors of the company. Having worked on open TV for almost 20 years gave us a certain degree of experience. A ladder built step by step,” says Tavolaro, who left the word “outsourcing” highlighted on the board in his office at CNN’s temporary headquarters.
Evaristo Costa “The arrival of CNN is important for the country”
Away from the screens for two years, Evaristo Costa, 42, was one of the most disputed talents among TVs. For 22 years he worked at Globo, 13 of them as the head of Jornal Hoje. In 2017, he decided to go on a sabbatical in England. Public’s sweetheart, since then he had been approached by several broadcasters for his return to TV. He decided to confirm his return on CNN Brasil, where he will run the program straight from London.
GoWhere: You will run a weekly show that will merge journalism and entertainment. Was staying away from the traditional journalism and not wear a tie your greatest wish?
Evaristo Costa: I had no intention of accepting any proposal to return to TV, especially to work daily with hard news, a suit, and a tie. CNN Brasil proposed to me to anchor a very important, innovative and unique program on Brazilian TV. It was something that perfectly fit my plans and dreams.
GW: How much did this weigh on the decision to close with CNN Brasil?
EC: What weighed most on my decision was the possibility of working on the most important brand of world journalism, which now arrives in Brazil. Being part of the team that will create CNN Brasil is the biggest opportunity and the biggest challenge of my career.
GW: How are you preparing to face the challenge in the new station?
EC: I have been preparing a lot, directly following everything that happens within the company, even at a distance, from here in England. I also keep following the Brazilian and world news, as I always have. I have already visited CNN’s London office and have been talking a lot about the company’s editorial standards, which are the best in the world. I’m really immersing myself in CNN editorial standards and I’m impressed
GW: Many broadcasters in the country had an eye on you, including even the possibility of a return to Globo. Why did you close with CNN?
EC: Because CNN is the largest and most important news channel in the world! I think the arrival of CNN Brasil is very important for the country and for Brazilian journalism. Being part of this team is the challenge I was looking for. It is a great pride to be part of CNN Brasil. We will help change Brazilian journalism. I am honored to be in the select group of presenters on the channel and to work with a team of serious and experienced journalists like the ones setting up the company. (A.L.)
Failed Attempts
CNN’s arrival in Brazil was not easy. Other Brazilian investors had already sought to join the world’s leading news group over the past two decades. Go Where Business learned that big business owners, bankers, cross-industry corporations, and media groups have tried to get the rights to license the CNN trademark since the 1990s, but a project has never been approved by the strict US compliance criteria. Letters of Intent were even signed, but all to no avail. Proposals always fell through for the lack of a well-founded and achievable editorial project and sustainable business plan, in the head office’s view. “The CNN name is strong and it helps a lot to build a quality team. In the case of a communication vehicle, the brand is an introductory factor, ” says publicist Washington Olivetto.
In the 1990s, SBT and, more recently, Rede TV, also had their proposals rejected because of a lack of investment in journalism or merely financial weakness. Tavolaro gave up his 17-year career as Record’s Director and Vice President of Journalism to fulfill his dream of creating CNN Brasil. He accepted CNN International commercial proposal in early 2018, leaving the journalism department with Record’s largest audiences and key financial results. “Journalism has always been the differential of Record. They managed to create a format that worked very well,” Silvio Santos, owner of SBT, publicly acknowledged in one edition of the annual award Troféu Imprensa.
Thinking about another business model was fundamental to execute CNN’s project, according to Tavolaro. The executive gathered a trusted team to set up a detailed television project for months, along the same lines as CNN’s editorial line, so that it could be presented in the United States. With the approved model, it was necessary to make the business plan viable with a Brazilian investor partner. Regulatory legislation requires that a journalism channel can only exist in the country with the control of Brazilian shareholders. To make the initiative viable, he presented the proposal to the entrepreneur Rubens Menin (see box), who immediately understood it as a rare and strategic investment opportunity. Menin is chairman of the Board of Directors of MRV Engenharia, Latin America’s largest homebuilder, and Banco Inter, one of the fastest growing digital banks in the country, having him on board was the last step for the venture to move forward. Tavolaro then traveled to Atlanta, USA, to introduce Menin’s name at CNN headquarters. With the project and business plan developed, months after intense meetings between law firms in Sao Paulo and New York, partners Tavolaro and Menin closed the deal with CNN. According to market information, the licensing of the brand for the Brazilian company will last 30 years.
Audience ranking
Tavolaro had plenty of examples of family entrepreneurship to plan CNN in Brazil. Son and grandson of Italians, he points grandfather Michelle, who participated in World War II as his first influence. A native of Tramutola, a small town in southern Italy, he was a cook in the Italian army and a prisoner of Hitler in Poland. He migrated to Brazil fleeing the poverty of the postwar period in Europe. “He started selling brooms on the streets of São Paulo. He was a marketer with a dairy stall and later established himself as a small property owner in Tatuapé,” recalls the executive, saying his grandfather is now 96 years old.
The second model came from his parents, who set up a small iron and steel trade next to the factory where they worked, also in the eastern neighbourhood of São Paulo. “This business, which started in the backyard of the house where I lived as a child, and still exists today with less than ten employees, supported raising children until college,” he said. Tavolaro has always studied in public schools and studied journalism at Cásper Líbero College, a few blocks from the future CNN Brasil headquarters. He began his career at the newspaper Diário Popular (closed in 2018 under the name of Diário de S.Paulo) and worked at IstoÉ magazine before joining Record TV as a producer of investigative reports.
He held various positions of leadership, until reaching the direction and, subsequently, the Vice Presidency of Journalism. During this period, invested on the reformulation of the Jornal da Record, which became the second most watched television news in the country. The Special Reporting Hub, which produced more than one thousand articles exhibited in Brazil and abroad was also created during its management. He set up a wide grid of regional journalism, with morning news, electronic magazines and weekly documentaries, and won the top awards in the category.
When Tavolaro took over the area, Record competed for the last positions in the ranking among the main networks of the country. Certain slots even punctuated zero in Ibope. Alongside his team, most of which is on CNN Brasil today, he created more than 11 hours of daily news that, on certain slots, has bothered Globo for years. “I value all this professional path, but now it’s a new story,” he says.
Globo reacts
The main force of Brazilian television journalism acts behind the scenes to try to maintain protagonism and avoid the stampede of professionals. _From the newsroom
The departure of Phelipe Siani and Mari Palma, two young and promising talents raised at Grupo Globo, took the network executives by surprise and lit the yellow light in the journalism department. Amid the process of celetization of special presenters and reporters, Globo has been offering a massive increase to those who are considered as potential targets of the competitor.
Sources heard by Go Where Business say that, at the same time, top executives began to spread the version that CNN Brasil does not have a concrete TV project. “You know, if you go there, it’s like going to Record, right?” Three important names heard the exact same phrase from distinguished high directors. The strategy became a source of irony in the new station. “It’s understandable. What do you want them to say? The hired presenters are weak? That the project is made by amateurs? That the location of the headquarters is bad? That the brand is fragile?” jokes one of CNN Brasil’s executives.
The North American brand competition did not go well with Record either. Annoyed by a possible loss of leadership in the dispute with Globo, members of the station’s high-profile executives attack behind the scenes, especially in Brasilia’s corridors. The goal is to put the CNN project in jeopardy.
“We will respect the audience’s intelligence”
One of the most complete journalists in Brazil, William Waack has an enviable resume. At 66, he worked for two decades at TV Globo, having left in 2017, when he presented Jornal da Globo. Before, he worked at some of the main media companies in the country, such as Jornal do Brasil, Jornal da Tarde, O Estado de S. Paulo, Veja and TV Cultura.
He specialized in international affairs, having been correspondent in Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the Middle East. He covered historical events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War. Hired by CNN Brasil, he is about to celebrate half a century of journalism.
GoWhere: What led you to accept CNN Brasil’s proposal to present the network’s main newscast?
William Waack: It is the largest journalism company in the world willing to dispute the leadership in the relevance of information and the quality of analysis in the Brazilian market. I could not be left out of such a venture, which I consider to be a relevant step forward in my 50-year journalism career now in January 2020.
GW: How do you see the current moment of television journalism in Brazil?
WW: Brazilian television journalism is vibrant and has a long tradition. But CNN’s vast international experience, with knowledge of various countries and markets, should provoke healthy competition for public attention, especially.
GW: What are the contributions that CNN’s editorial principles can bring to Brazilian television news?
WW: CNN fits into the well-established Anglo-Saxon school of journalism, which strives to separate news from opinion expression, strives for balance and respect in dealing with matters of public interest.
GW: What are the main challenges for TV coverage in a context of such political polarization?
WW: Maintain focus on what is relevant, avoid being drawn into political “tribes” disputes, treat sources and opinions with respect.
GW: How will CNN Brazil contribute to the public debate in the country?
WW: Having the public as its main focus and dedication and drawing attention to the urgent need for the country to face its great challenges of reducing imbalances, generating income and prosperity.
GW: Which role of television journalism will CNN Brasil have to inhibit the expansion of so-called fake news?
WW: Fake news only gains relevance when people are orphaned by references to which they can ascertain the truth of the facts around them. CNN intends to be that reference.
GW: What can the public expect from CNN Brasil’s journalism?
WW: Firstly, respect for the intelligence of the public itself. (A.L.)
Comprehensive Attractions
Commercial Vice Presidency ensures that advertisers and advertising agencies are part of the construction of the CNN project. (From the newsroom)
The arrival of CNN in Brazil moved not only the journalism industry, but also the advertising market. The brand’s strength has created uproar among advertisers. To articulate the commercial strategy, the partners of the licensed station sought Marcus Vinícius Chisco for the position of commercial vice president. One of the most respected executives in the industry in the country, Chisco has worked at GloboSat, MTV and was at RecordTV for the past 20 years, where he held the position of Director of Sales and Business Development.
Chisco says that CNN Brasil’s project has been well received in the market. He bets on the activation of his business partners not only in cable TV, but also in digital and social networks. “The advertising market was eager for news, and the arrival of CNN Brasil is the most important fact of recent times in the communication industry. The receptivity of our project could not be better. Great players will be with us in founding quotas, being protagonists and co-creators, contributing to the development of our project,” he said. Surveys produced by the Kantar Ibope Media Institute have been the compass for setting up CNN Brasil’s programming grid and attractions. In addition to daily journalism, the station will feature documentaries, original series and thematic content platforms, such as CNN Business, CNN Luxury, CNN Tourism and CNN Sports. There will also be programs that mix journalism and entertainment, such as what will be presented on Sundays by Evaristo Costa, from CNN London studios. Chisco points out that advertisers will gain CNN attributes by associating their companies with the new broadcaster project.
“Every brand is looking for relevance and engagement today. Besides having this, we still deliver credibility and reputation. There are four spectacular attributes to complete unique competitive differentials,” he says. “The market will have the opportunity to have the biggest brand of journalism available in Brazil. And it will be a company made by and for Brazilians,” he adds. To set up CNN Brasil’s commercial project, Chisco traveled abroad for immersion periods. “To format the project, we made immersions in New York, Atlanta and London. The company will be data driven and, above all, focused on our customers’ communication needs,” he says. (A.L.)
Experts opinions
“The CNN name is strong and it helps a lot to build a quality team. In the case of communication vehicle, the brand is an introductory factor. Success will depend on their journalism. The Brazilian version has to have characteristics of the original production, but totally tropicalized ”.
Washington Olivetto, publicist
“I’ve always had a special passion in television for journalism. CNN is an extremely well run company. I think in Brazil you need to stimulate the issue of journalism […] it takes a plurality. So CNN’s presence is welcome. ”
José Bonifácio de Oliveira Sobrinho, Boni, on interview to Mariana Godoy.
“I think the coming of CNN to Brazil is amazing. It could not have happened at a better time. I have been following CNN for a long time. ”
Jô Soares, TV host
“We are now reduced to practically a vision of reality transmitted identically by a small number of media. CNN can contribute to the necessary information diversity. ”
Laurindo Lalo Leal, sociologist, journalist and professor at USP
“The arrival of CNN Brasil is excellent news not only for representing the importance of the Brazilian media and entertainment market in the world, but also for broadening the democratization of information and the diversity of perspectives at the local level. Already modern, truly omnichannel, accelerating the transformation of the local industry towards a more modern model and adhering to a consumer profile that has already changed.”
Carlos Giusti, partner at PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) Brasil, specializing in media consumption.
Media Market Team
CNN Brasil has set up a board of directors with extensive experience in the communications market. There are already more than 70 professionals working daily on the project at the company’s temporary headquarters in São Paulo. Among them are Ellen Nogueira and Maura Martines, both former Globo professionals having worked there for more than a decade. Ellen, who was responsible for the Jornal Nacional news, will be the Director of Journalism. Maura, who worked in the finance area of RBS, affiliate of Globo in the south of the country, will be the Director of Market Intelligence.
Another reinforcement coming from Globosat is the publicist Emi Takahashi, head of Media Planning. Givanildo Menezes (Director of Journalism), Fabiano Falsi (Director of Journalism) and Marco Aurélio Cordeiro (Legal Director) came from the Record Group. Also in the management team are journalists Henri Karam (Journalism), Flavia Bonfá (Public Relations and Special Projects), Marcio Pinheiro (Digital) and publicist Douglas Fagotti (Programming).
Karam was in charge of BandNews since 2017, during which time he promoted the restructuring of the channel. Flavia worked at FSB, the largest communications agency in the country, having worked at CGCom (Central Globo Communication), Edelman and Ketchum. Fagotti has been working for nearly 20 years on TV, at SBT, Record and Band. Pinheiro has worked for more than eight years at Grupo TV, an agency where he developed multiplatform strategies for several companies. He also worked at Grupo Abril, Folha de S.Paulo, UOL and iG. (A.L.)
We will be in every device where news is sought, says executive
Anthony Doyle, Distribution VP
Anthony Doyle, one of the most renowned cable TV executives in Brazil, was announced as Vice President of Distribution for CNN Brasil. Doyle was responsible for the distribution of 16 channels in the country in partnership with pay TV operators, OTT services and streaming. For 24 years, he worked at Turner, where he was regional vice president of Distribution and content executive officer.
GoWhere: How do global brands like CNN help drive cable TV?
Anthony Doyle: Brands acknowledged worldwide drive brand awareness and credibility to our business, but it is the relevance of content that brings and keeps the high audience. The mix of this relevant content, with originality and exclusivity, produced by a quality team, is CNN Brasil’s commitment to the public.
GW: What are CNN Brasil’s focus in terms of distribution? Is it a more elitist or lower-middle class journalism?
AD: We were born in a time of multiplatform news consumption. Therefore, we need to be on each device where the subscriber seeks news. We’ll focus on producing content with language accessible to all classes. We are challenged to help operators attract subscribers and raise awareness of new generations of consumers.
GW: Where will the market be in the next 5 years?
AD: Hopefully watching CNN Brasil somewhere. CNN Brasil is now a fact. (From the newsroom)
Editorial project
But will the new CNN be a channel linked to some political ideology? In an extremely polarized Brazil, divided into extreme positions, this is one of the most common questions asked for people who run the new channel. “We will be neither right nor left. We’ll do journalism,” says Tavolaro. One of CNN Brasil’s great challenges – and perhaps a great opportunity – is to be born in a moment of instability over the credibility of the Brazilian press, which was intensified by the proliferation of fake news on social networks and the political split of the country. The station promises to follow the precepts of good journalism: telling the facts and giving voice to the plurality of points of view. “We have a responsibility to be the most important news brand in the world. And news has no ideology. Opinion, yes, has a side. We will have plural journalism, as the public has sought,” argues Leandro Cipoloni, Vice President of Journalism.
Ted Turner, founder of CNN and partner of Time Warner group, and Leandro Cipoloni, VP of Journalism at CNN Brazil, in the United States
CNN Brasil, its executives assure, has no intention of spreading news firsthand without a thorough check of its veracity. Thus the “scoop” gives way to journalism concerned with preventing the spread of false news. “We want to get to the news first, but we don’t have to spread it first. In times of fake news, we give up being the first if the information is not confirmed. Our goal is only one: to be right,” says Américo Martins.
In March, Martins and Cipoloni, along with other Brazilian professionals, went to Atlanta, New York and Miami for immersion in the CNN project. In the host city, they had meetings with Jeff Zucker, the brand’s global president. They also met Ted Turner, founder of the channel. From these meetings, the rigorous concept of information checking called the triad was implemented. Three sectors are part of the triad: “the row”, made up of executive editors; “the legal” (legal part), consisting of lawyers, who analyze the legal implications of the material; and “standard and practices”, composed of directors who analyze whether the content of the report follows CNN’s rules and practices manual. This third group has to ask questions and help answer three questions: “How do we do this?”, “Can we do this?” and “Should we do this?”. “Not only will CNN Brasil import the concept, it will create an innovation about it: the triad will be physically present in the middle of our newsroom,” says Cipoloni. After years of failed attempts, the triad that established CNN journalism as the world’s premier news channel will finally be available to the Brazilian public in the coming months.
Eager audience
The countdown to the premiere has begun. Construction advances day and night on Paulista Avenue, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia are closely followed by a woman with iron fist but strong likeability. CNN Brasil CFO Jercineide Castro, an engineer with extensive experience in business administration and project management, ensures that the renovations will have a level of excellence in quality. “We are on schedule. The project, in terms of infrastructure, is quite complex, but we are following as planned, ”she says. “CNN Brasil wants to make history in the communications market.”
For Engineering and Operations Director Rafael Duzzi, the technical plan will be implemented with the challenge of uniting efficiency and agility. “We will start the implementation of our operational park simultaneously with the completion of the infrastructure works,” he says. In addition to Duzzi, former director of an English multinational considered to be the world’s largest advertising content storage and distribution platform, CNN’s leadership team was assembled with professionals from the communications market. They are vice presidents and hired directors of companies like BBC, Globo, Fox, Record, Turner, Band, UOL and Grupo RBS.
The marketing strategy is also fast-paced and focused on digital media. “The first names of presenters, such as Evaristo Costa and William Waack, were announced through the network’s social networks. A strategy designed to show our identity,” says Virgilio Abranches. The public’s eagerness for the channel’s debut is so great that with profiles created in June on four social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn – the new broadcaster already has over half a million followers. An expectation commensurate with the size of the CNN brand.
Adalberto Leister Filho has been a journalist for 22 years, master in Social History at USP, having worked at Folha de S.Paulo, R7, Globo, among other vehicles.