This past weekend, as Hurricane Gustav was threatening New Orleans, CNN reporter Rick Sanchez was using social media while broadcasting via traditional media.

Rick setup his own Twitter page @ricksanchezcnn (here's a 101 tutorial on Twitter if you are unfamiliar with the service) and was on the air reporting on Gustav and answering "tweets" from viewers in the hurricane zone during the weekend primetime edition of CNN Newsroom.

Rick's efforts have been so successful, CNN decided to give him his own Twitter focused show called Rick Sanchez Direct. According to one of Rick's recent tweets, the show will "play off" what he's been doing online with social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.




Snachez used Twitter on both the Saturday and Sunday episodes of CNN Newsroom last weekend. Here are the ratings:

• The Saturday CNN Newsroom episode where Snachez first used Twitter on the air was the most watched and highest rated of all newscasts on all networks during  that time period.
• CNN Newsroom (Saturday) was also the most-watched CNN program of the day for the P25-54 segment with 602,000 average viewers.
• CNN Newsroom (Sunday, 11pm) was the #1 cable program in its time period.

The first episode of  Rick Sanchez Direct airs Sept 8th at 3pm on CNN.





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