ARISE NEWS, will have a strong African footprint and serve underserved communities in the USA and other parts of the world, supported by a further eight bureaux around the globe stretching from Beijing to Rio de Janeiro.
A sister channel, ARISE 360, which will be entertainments-based with fashion, music, sport and pay per view films, will start broadcasting toward the end of this year.
The ‘arrival’ of the network was announced by company executives in London and New York.
Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of ARISE NEWS and ARISE 360 is Nduka Obaigbena, owner and publisher of the fashion and culture magazine, ARISE, and the publisher of several other titles including one of Nigeria’s daily newspapers, THISDAY.
Mr. Obaigbena said: ‘We will attract a global audience interested in emerging markets, developing countries and evolving politics. With headquarters and bureaux throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, we are ready to speak to our audience and give them a voice as well.
‘We are a new international network established to reflect the new world order not hardwired to the old and built to reflect the modern way news is consumed. Nowhere is this more important than in the emerging economies.”
Mr Obaigbena stressed: “There will be no state funding and no state agenda. Our coverage will be balanced, comprehensive and completely independent.
“Our efforts will concentrate on robust journalism anchored on imperatives of the marketplace.”
Rob Beynon, a former executive producer with ITN and Sky News and now International Head of Operations at ARISE NEWS, said a team of TV news experts had been assembled from around the globe.
He said a ‘soft launch’ last Thursday, January 31 would lead to a full-scale operation in March/April.
Lyne Pitts, a former Vice President of NBC News and an Executive Producer with CBS America is heading up the US operation from a vast studio complex in New York.
Ms Pitts explained: ‘We want to present programming that truly reflects the voices of America, not just a small slice but the racial, ethnic and socio-economic diversity of this country.
‘From that perspective ARISE NEWS will cover all issues education, health, politics and the criminal justice system. From Main Street to Wall Street, from the G8 to the Grammy’s.’
Director of US New and Operations is award-winning broadcaster Gary Anthony Ramsay who has covered conflicts from Kosovo to Iraq.
Nigerian born John Chiahemen, a former Reuters bureau chief, has been appointed Managing Editor – and Head of Africa.
David Glencorse, a former Sky News anchorman, international reporter and Royal Television Society award winner, is the Global Editorial Director of the company.
Nick Jennings, a former Head of International News at Sky News is Director of News and News Gathering.
And Gavin Hill, until recently an award winning ITV producer of documentaries is Director of Features.
James Blue, formerly an Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer with ABC News Nightline and NBC Today has been appointed Director of Current Affairs and Special Projects based in Washington.
Said Mr Blue: ‘We want to tell the untold story, the stories of achievement and celebration. So much is happening in the world of business and so much is happening in the world of culture and sports. We want to cover all of that and provide people with stories on our stations they would never see anywhere else.’
Jeff Koinange, an Emmy award winning reporter and formerly CNN’s star Africa reporter will be based in Johannesburg as an anchorman and correspondent.
Debbye Turner-Bell, a former CBS correspondent (and former Miss America) will be a regular anchor for ARISE America.
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