Christiane Amanpour Leaves CNN to Head ABC's Program Called This Week

After spending a quarter of a century at CNN, Christine Amanpour has now taken a position with ABC's This Week, replacing George Stephanopoulos on the show which rivals NBC's Meet the Press and CBS' Face the Nation. She will be a welcome face at ABC, especially for viewers who do not have cable and therefore do not see CNN.

Amanpour's first guests on her new show were Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, and Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense, both of whom spoke to the war in the Middle East. This was followed by a round-table discussion which included George Will and Taliban expert Ahmed Rashid. The final portion of the show, In Memoriam, was devoted to several persons who had recently died, including American soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Amanpour moved to the United States in the late 70's to study journalism at the University of Rhode Island, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism degree. During her distinguished career, she has won nine Emmy Award and several other honors for her work.

Christiner Amanpour, 52 years old, was born in Iran to an Iranian airline executive and a British mother. She has been CNN's top international correspondent for 18 years, reporting from conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, the Balkans and other trouble spots. She was the first international correspondent to interview British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and King Abdullah of Jordan. She initially gained notice for her 1985 report on Iran which won the DuPont Award. She also gave detailed reports on the conflict in Iraq.

Amanpour has been married to James Rubin, former Assistant Secretary of State and spokesman for the US State Department, since 1998. Their son Darius John Rubin was born in 2000. The family resides in New York City.

She praised CNN on leaving, stating "I leave CNN with the utmost respect, love and admiration for the company and everyone who works here."

Sources:

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2010/08/01/christiane_amanpour_hosts_abc_news_this_week

http://inform.com/entertainment/christiane-amanpour-hosts-abc-news-week-1007389a

http://www.biography.com/articles/Christiane-Amanpour-212140