World Business Review
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| World Business Review | |
|---|---|
| Created by | MMP (USA) Inc |
| Starring | Caspar Weinberger (1996–2000) Alexander Haig (2000–2006) Norman Schwarzkopf (2006–present) |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | 700 (airs weekly) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 27 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | American Public Television |
| Release | September 5, 1996 – 2007 |
World Business Review is an American television infomercial[1] series that has been criticized for attempting to appear as a bona fide independent news program.[2] The show typically features executives of mostly up and coming companies talking about their products and services. Haig’s chats with executives seen as ‘30-minute commercial’, Current, Feb. 25, 2002. The infomercial series purchases airtime in North America.[3] The infomercial is formatted as a panel discussion in combination with segments about specific companies and their solutions. Supporting material and commentary is "provided" by leading industry experts. The series has aired more than one thousand episodes and more than 4,000 interviews.
The company that produces World Business Review, MMP (USA), employs a model wherein they hire recognized names in politics, government and business—and not journalists or reporters—to serve as hosts and interviewers. Companies that are featured in the program often pay a fee to be involved, and generally are the only company featured in the program, which is why many classify the program as an infomercial. MMP (USA) also produces "21st Century Television with Donald Trump, Jr." [4]
History
World Business Review first aired Thursday evening September 5, 1996 on Philadelphia, PA's public television station WYBE.
- That first episode, #301, was hosted by Caspar Weinberger, Chairman of Forbes magazine and Secretary of Defense during President Ronald Reagan’s administration. These earliest episodes were co-hosted by David Hazinski, former correspondent for NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.
- Because of the subscriber nature of local public television stations, local presentation of the World Business Review is scheduled by individual stations and air times would vary by market. By December 4, 1996, initial broadcasts of that first episode had reached 42,491,400 potential households in eighteen markets including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Miami and as part of Knowledge TV, a part of Jones Intercable.
- In January 1998, episode #420 heralded the first On Location Special of World Business Review. This format consists entirely of field reports shot onsite around the country. This format allowed a more visually impactful program and ultimately led to the formation of a dedicated group of On Location episodes beginning in July 2001.
- In 1999, Health Journal Television was launched dedicated to examining solutions and technologies in the medical and health care industries.
- May and June 2000, World Business Review episode 711B marked the first major transition in Host duties as Alexander M. Haig Secretary of State for Reagan 1980 to 1981) assumes the post of Moderator from the retiring Caspar Weinberger.
- In November 2001, the World Business Review studio moved to a South Florida affiliate of NBC where between 5 and ten episodes were taped. At the beginning of 2002, taping was moved again to WXEL in Boynton Beach, Florida.
- In 2003, airing times nationwide were consolidated into one consistent slot coast to coast. This was accomplished with the move from public television to CNBC as paid programming. The program airs without commercial interruption, allowing the shows producers to maintain editorial control of both topics and content.
- During the autumn of 2006, while hosts transitioned from Haig to Schwarzkopf, the studio was moved temporarily to accommodate both the new and tenured hosts schedules during the overlap of taping.
Hosts and production
 | This section contains wording that promotes the subject through exaggeration of unnoteworthy facts. (October 2012) |
- In September 2006, World Business Review introduced its third host, Norman Schwarzkopf.
Industry Experts
Presidents of a number of industry associations have been appeared as co-hosts in broadcasts throughout the years, including:
- Vinton Cerf, Co-Developer of the TCP/IP internet protocol
- Daniel T. Miklovic, Vice President, Gartner G2 Division
- Matthew J. Flanigan, President, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
- Harris Miller President, Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)
- Wayne Adams, Chair, Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA)
- &Bruce Aitken, Homeland Security Industries Association (HSIA)
- Dr. Eugene Arthurs, The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE)
- Dr. Gerald W. Cockrell, Professor, School of Technology, Indiana State University
- Rhett B. Dawson, President, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) (formerly CBEMA)
- Nelson E. Fabian, Executive Director, National Environmental Health Association (NEHA)
- John P. Gardner, Jr.,Co-Author and Speaker Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneurial Soul
- Bob Gill, President, Product Development and Management Association (PDMA)
- Fred Johnson, President, Credit Union Executives Society (CUES)
- Jay Kitchen, President, Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA)
- William Lempesis, Executive Director, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA)
- Dave McCurdy, President, Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA)
- Bruce J Parker, President, Environmental Industry Associations (EIA)
- Dr. Michael Pregmon, President of the Quality Assurance Institute (QAI)
- Neil D. Schuster, President, Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA)
- Robert L. Greene, President, Investment Company Institute ICI0 (formerly NAIC)
- David F. Henault, CEO, Association for Services Management International (AFSMI)
- Susan P. Kezios, President, American Franchisee Association (AFA)
- Wallace Read, former President, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Max E. Rumbaugh, Jr.,Vice President, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
- Peter S. Tippett, President, National Computer Security Association (NCSA)
- Thomas E. Wheeler, President, Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA)
- Richard Palmieri, President Commercial Finance Association (CFA)
- Kurt Yeager, President Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
- Mark Zetter, CEO Venture Outsource
- In 2000, World Business Review welcomed its second host, General Alexander M. Haig. Haig’s tenure as host is unmatched; hosting more than one thousand episodes during the taping period November 2000 to November 2006, from episodes #711B to at least #1818. His relationship with World Business Review continued after his departure as host of the original program as he then hosted the newly created 21st Century Business program until his death in 2010.
- In September 1996, World Business Review introduced its first host, Caspar Weinberger. Weinberger hosted World Business Review between 1996 and 2000, from episodes #301 to #711A.
