Qatar Airways to sponsor CNN's new programme, 'Quest', as part of on-going brand campaign

'Quest', a new monthly half-hour feature programme is being sponsored by Doha-based Qatar Airways, and is set to become a key part of CNN's programming schedule. This new monthly series puts CNN's Richard Quest in front of some of the world's greatest and most influential figures in their field as he goes in quest of the excellence that drives the world.

The partnership with Qatar Airways includes sponsorship of the monthly programme on CNN and the dedicated web site on CNN.com international edition, www.cnn.com/quest, online advertising across the international website and a series of 60 second vignettes to run alongside Qatar Airways' advertising spots.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: "We are extremely delighted to sponsor this exciting new CNN show fronted by one of CNN's leading journalists who has become a household name with his own unique personality.

"Qatar Airways and CNN have long enjoyed a strong partnership and we are pleased to continue our relationship through this sponsorship. Quest goes in search for leading figures in their respective fields that strive for excellence. Similarly, we, at Qatar Airways strive for excellence and have shown our determination that has earned us award-winning status and become one of the fastest growing airlines in the world.

"The CNN partnership is part of an ongoing strategy by Qatar Airways to spread our message as a leading international airline that excels in service and high standards."

Rani Raad, vice president CNN advertising sales, Middle East, Africa and Southern Europe, added: "We're delighted to have developed this sponsorship vehicle for a client of Qatar Airways' calibre. Through 'Quest', CNN enables Qatar Airways to reach its target audience of senior international business travellers, around a highly relevant programming proposition. With the State of Qatar experiencing tremendous growth, and Qatar Airways actively supporting this growth, this sponsorship provides an ideal platform for the airline to reinforce its reputation with the elite business traveller. We are delighted to partner with Qatar Airways as we continue our longstanding support of the travel and tourism sector with creative new initiatives."

Quest' is produced by the in-house team at CNN's studios in London, with support from the network's Atlanta and Hong Kong bureaux. In the new programme, CNN presenter Richard Quest, (see below), dispenses with the usual sofa and Q&A format and uses his unconventional and unique interviewing style to gain insight into what makes icons tick. Each edition focuses on a certain theme and the people most associated with it; Quest interviews his guests, taking the invaluable advice, knowledge and experience and puts it to use at the end of each show.

About the programme:

CNN's Richard Quest lines up the biggest names from entertainment, politics and business to find out the secrets of their success as he swaps the television news anchor chair for a series of challenges where he ends up in the hot seat.

The new monthly programme sees him go in search of answers and advice from the brightest in the business as he dispenses with the usual sofa and Q&A and uses his unconventional and unique interviewing style to gain insight into what makes people tick.

As Quest says: "It's about bringing the best in the business right to your door...different, imaginative, unusual, unexpected, 'Quest' is all these things and more."

Quirky and popular, Richard Quest has established himself as one of the foremost news and business correspondents around and 'Quest' makes the most of the charismatic news and business anchor's talents, providing the perfect framework for his energy, dynamism and professionalism.

'Quest' also sits alongside both 'Larry King Live' and 'The Daily Show: Global Edition' in CNN's range of incisive and intelligent talk based programming that has proved consistently popular and, in the case of Jon Stewart, gained cult status with an international audience.