What a touching story about Ted, i do wonder how he feels when he seat back to watch his creation "CNN "and what it has become in a very short time and most importanly in his life time.My God give us many more Teds to create employment and spread wealth to the needy.

ezeonyebuchi Franklin
spain

Ralitsa, your disclosure on how CNN changed your life is really profound... it says so much about you as well as Mr. Turner's dream having a profound impact on people all over the world, including me here in Malaysia, if only as a CNN viewer...
Like Ted ( I guess Mr. Turner wants us to call him Ted!), I am increasingly troubled by the direction mankind is heading and the seemingly lack of will by the leaders of the world to address reality. How can we watch all these stories of food and water shortages, rape and violence the world over, about politicians amending constitutions so they can remain in power, and not be moved by it? The key, in my mind, global population control. I shall be getting Ted's book soon and hope to mobilise friends both here and overseas via the net.

What a man!

What an larger than life, life

What a stupendous spread of achievements

Good Luck Ted, and God be with You!

Alex

Dear Ralitsa,

hopefully you do not expect to many comments to your blog. I read in a forum today: "Why does she interviewed him?". That shows that Ted Turner is not one of the celebrities everyone is interested in. Certainly Ted Turner is important for CNN but apart from that he is not so important for most other people.

After reading your blog I have to say it seems to me that CNN is for him like a beloved child and it also seems that he is still standing on the ground. There are not many informations about him and his work outside the US because the most work he has done apparently is US based.
Maybe that is a reason why the most work of CNN is also based upon an american perspective.

Unfortunately Ted is one of a very few in that category who thinks about the future.
I do agree Teds words about health and you can be sure that the damage you do to your health can not be healed completely.

I think you know that the whole life consists out of changes and the most of them are forever(like your first day at school or your first day at work) but do you think you would have got that chance without the end of communism?

As you know every one has started as a beginner and what a person can reach depends of the knowledge and the quality of the work. In some cases companies do prefer persons out of the former communism area because they do deliver good work and they do work for less money.

Zdrave Ralitsa,
A good thing you now have your blog, that way I may compliment you on Mr. Turner's interview, but also all the others you have led over the years. It has always been a priviledge to watch your work.
Wishing you all the best,
Emilie from Paris, France

Ralista, I listened to you interview and was thrilled to read the whole script so I had to risk walking the streets of Monrovia,Liberia to find the interview. If I knew am coming to read a paraphrased version, I would have taken the risk. I hope you take note of this and understand that what anyone says has a lot of impact on people, even those you will never meet...... you also mentioned the blog page to be cnn.com/ralista but its not it.... Please do well to give us accurate information....

Dear Ralitsa;

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to comment on your blog. It truly is an honor to communicate with a professional like yourself.

Well, just like pioneers such as Jack Welsch, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter had their word in a book about their life's ups and downs, Ted Turner is expected to have his say too. Afterall, he was an example of an extraordinary success that can be a lesson to millions around the world.

This is Ted.

However I wonder – how much of his book will be 'personal-life' oriented, and how much of it will offer valuable lessons of life's challenges? Will he be revealing 'secrets of success', or simply narrating a life's story?

Questions that will wait for an answer once I read his book.

On another note: Ted neither looks nor sounds like a billionaire. His looks, voice and character reflect a person with a massive experience from an exhausting life. Yet this same person is both satisfied and still ambitious as he was during his 20s.

Very inspiring indeed.

However Ralitsa, I have to disagree with you on one very important point, where you said:

"Never in my wildest dreams did a fledgling Bulgarian journalist like me imagine I would become a news anchor on CNN International!"

I totally disagree with you Ralitsa. Why wouldn't a decent, professional, elegant lady like yourself dream of being in an international leading news anchor? I do not think Ted is the reason, rather, YOU are the reason. Your selfless personality, presentable character and hard-worked career is what has led you here, and will lead you anywhere similar and more. If it wasn't in CNN, it would've been in a similar or maybe much more important position. I think you are should be an example of true success for all European and Bulgarian women in particular. I am confident that one day, the world will be once again inspired with a book entitled:

"From Dreams to Reality" by Ralitsa Vassileva

I have been watching CNN and you ever since I was 10. You remain to be my favorite journalist.

Thank you for the honor.

Nader
Lebanon

Dear Ralitsa,

I am expat working here in Abu dhabi, UAE.
you are one of my favorite anchorwoman of CNN, Please keep up your good works all the time.

Regards,

Hi Ralitsa

I'm writing from a small country in Africa and I've been watching CNN for many years. However, in the run up to the elections and beyond, I've kept my tv on all night in order not to miss anything, given the exciting change that appeared to be brewing and that occurred in the end. How's that for someone who's supposed to wake up and go to work?! Anyway, you're my favourite anchor – pleasant, articulate, beautiful and above all, professional.

I can't wait to watch the rest of the Ted Turner interview tonight. I'm a woman who owns her own business. In this environment it is not very easy growing a business but my aim is to press on and while things are tough, we have carved a small, happy niche in the market for providing superior quality legal and other professional services to government and other clients. I'm keen to hear about how Mr Turner surmounted the ups and downs and what accounted for his resistance and resilience. The terrain here is so tough that sometimes I feel like giving up, but my aim is to keep at it, in the bid to leave a legacy of smart local professionals that can deliver to international best practice standards and who can stand shoulder to shoulder with any US or European-trained consultant from this tiny little 'third world' country, without necessarily having lived and worked in the developed world. So far it appears to be working – and it's amazing how talented some of the consultants that have passed through the firm are and have become.

Now, we're not very rich as a firm, but I wish we were! So its good to hear Mr Turner reiterate that money isn't everything. I also suspect he would take the great Ms Fonda right back if she were to say 'ok, lets give it another try', which demonstrates a certain human vulnerability that you often imagine would be lacking in people who seem to have it all. The fact that he gives so much away is nice. Bill Gates, George Soros, etc, are doing a lot of that for Africa so I wish some of Mr Turner's would trickle (no, pour!) down to our continent. How is he protecting the land he's bought for the common good, though? I didn't digest that well enough when I read the article but perhaps we'll be more enlightened tonight.

I also like what he said about Information. Sometimes I feel like turning off the radio in these parts. There's still a lot they can learn from journalists like you. I haven't done that yet (ie. turn it off) due to the overriding need for Information. Even when it is not delivered to the standards you'd expect, it is so critical to our lives, our work and our world generally. That it has been done so well by CNN for so many years, means Mr Turner must be truly congratulated.

Finally, I was pleased to hear that the G20 more or less resolved to preserve development support to emerging economies such as ours. Using my firm as an example – we provide reform and capacity building services to government, and the staff of my firm and other young people coming through on internships, are well-trained to provide support such development projects. Most of these government projects are funded by the development partners (G8, World Bank, IMF, etc). Now, my firm is only a tiny player in the market, but if the development funds were to diminish, not only would government's development ideals be curtailed in their achievement, but the potential and capacity of the youth would be restricted, thus putting more pressure on them to seek fulfilment abroad. This is only one of the many implications of any reduction in development funds.

Neither we, nor the developed world want that do we?

Anyway, these are just some thoughts from an African woman who wishes you well.
Best regards

Hi Ralitsa, I am so glad to post this comment hoping you will read it and find out that this is coming from one of your numerous fans to whom you sent your photograph about some thirteen years ago! I wrote you a letter in 1995 from Ghana saying that I admired your work at cnn and I requested for your photograph. A couple of months later I got a reply from you with an autographed photo of you. I guess you might have forgotten which is understandable in view of the fact that you reach out to close to a billion people on our planet through cnn. I saw a sneak preview of your interview with Ted Turner and I was so thrilled and I am looking forward to watching the whole interview this evening. My sister and I have always admired Ted for his daring spirit and all that he had and continues to achieve in life. I know a lot about Ted's life because I started reading about him a over a decade ago. I remember reading about his childhood experiences; the loss of his kid sister, his dad's tragic demise and so many adversities he had to face. I remember his marriage to Jane Fonda who also lost her mum in a fashion similar to that of Ted's father's demise. I remember a story in which Ted was said to have deliberately misbehaved at a football game which led to him being banned so that he would not be able to attend the subsequent games of the club he supported in order for him to be able to partake in one of his numerous sailing competitions. He had vowed never to miss any of his club's football fixtures but one of the fixtures coincided with the date of a sailing competition he had to partake in. So the only way to break his vow was to get himself banned from attending the football games for a definite period! I do also remember once he dared Rupert Murdoch to put on boxing gloves and face him in the boxing ring! Ralitsa, Ted is a man whose life story needs to be told on the silver screens.

Dear Ralitsa,

It is defiantely interesting to see just how interesting coctail universe can create. I never read anything specific about Ted Turner and I admire some of his efforts that you mentioned. Such a person has a certain mature perspective about life and is able to contribute... as each of us in our own way... yet he is doing it with awareness.

Feels right. It goes well with the current flow. Who knows, what is comming, but at the moment I think that many people have a feel that recent events somehow create a feeling or atmosphere that is wonderous and frightening at the same time. It is good to hear of people like Ted also focusing his life beyond hassles, divorces, loss... Helps to keep the spirit up.

As for your contribution to this space I would like to mention that I regularly keep an eye on the CNN's path and I would like you to know that you are definately delivering the news flow in a more harmoneous way than some other names are capable of.

I thank you for that.

Keep on with the good work.

Dear Bernd,

You've wasted so many words merely to show empty dissatisfaction. The ideas you try to convey in your few paragraphs, missing a common thread, remind me of scrambled eggs.

Use some better receipt and spices, next time you try to cook something on any blog about the 'US based' CNN, 'the end of communism' and persons doing 'good work for less money'.

Ralitsa, keep doing what you're doing – you're an inspiration!

Boris

Ted Turner is in deed an inspiration to everyone. He has made a difference to the world, despite a few setbacks in his life. It is incredible to see how a man of his age still manage to improve the lives of others & yet he is so humble. He is one of my heroes.

Ralitsa,
Ted's experiences in life which he freely shares with the rest of the world is great.I appreciate the man for creating CNN International and rising above challenging situations to get to his present status.It takes a man with focus and vision to get to where he is now.

I've watched portions of your interview with him and I can understand now why you admire him so much.I think he's given a lot of people the opportunity to aspire to greater heights.One thing I noticed though during those interviews was that your affection for Ted clouded the interview.Although you did a good job in interviewing him,I know you could have done better if you did not attached that your personal emotions of the man to the interview.

All in all,I think Ted has made history and his inventions ( including CNN International) will live a lot longer than his name.A lot of people know CNN but not Ted.For some of us,he's paid his due to society.

And Ralitsa, you are one of the very best at CNN.Dont forget that.

Hi Ralitsa,
Your interview with Ted Turner was great. As usual, you asked the right questions and left me satisfied with the interview you had with Ted. You are realy good at your job, keep it up.
Ralitsa, would you be kind enough to tell me what part of Europe you originaly come from.
I also want to know why I have not seen Femi Oke who comes originaly from my country Nigeria in a long time on CNN, is she still with you guys.
Can you please, also help me with Zain Vergie´s blog address.
You are so natural in the way you present news, you make CNN an intresting channel to watch for me and my family. Thanks, Kevin

Dear Boris,

thank you very much for your warm words.

My whole life through I have met at work, in my club or simply in life a lot of people from every corner of the world and I have learnt that it is impossible to see the world through their eyes.

Some of my clubmates have been born in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. Except those that came from Yugoslavia and Hungary all others had one thing in common in their past. Every one of them had to flee to get a job in the west knowing that they will not see the rest of their family anymore.
With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the development afterwards their life has changed completely. They had met the rest of their family, sometimes 20 or 30 years after leaving. Well, the way you use your comment is not really fair upon those people and what they had within their lives.

Now it is a part of our history and today I have the luck to work together with colleagues from every single continent.
I know that Ralitsa has left Bulgaria in the early 90's and therefore it has never been a question for her.

Boris, american perspective and 'US based' are 2 different things. CNN en Espanol is 'US based' but works upon an espanol perspective.
World News ASIA works mostly upon an asian perspective, World News Europe mostly upon an european perspective. From CNN Center it depends upon anchor, reporter and topic but it is mostly upon an american perspective. Unlike some of my colleagues I do not have a problem with it because I have grown up with the german and the american perspective side by side and so it was always a part of my life. It is easier for me to understand some reports than for my colleague from Egypt even if the american perspective leads to leave out some things. From my point of view the interest is where did it come from. Maybe there is no special reason why. Maybe is goes back to the Turner era, maybe it came after him.

I do understand that you do not like 'good work for less money', maybe because it is one basic philosophy of capitalism, maybe because you do like to be reminded. Well, you can be sure that every human resource manager will try to pay as less as possible.
That's the way it works with a few exceptions within the sports and media world, where superstars and high-rated persons are paid much better because their presence leads to more viewers and visitors. Which finally allows the sports clubs and media companies to sell their places for sales promotion for a better price then without them.

In case of Ralitsa I have not seen her while she has worked for the Bulgarian Televison but I have read that she was the 2nd highest rated anchor in Bulgarian Television. That shows that she was very popular. From that point of view it would have been a good idea for CNN to offer her a job especially when they want to cover every part of the world maybe not only by news but also by thinking and working.

Today I can say that Ralitsa does good work, real good work but whether it was a good idea for CNN or not depends not upon what you and I prefer. That depends upon her rating compared to other anchors that do have a similar job.

It sounds hard but so it works.

It is good to see that you try to defend her but I do think that it is not necessary. After reading her blogs and watching her on TV it seems to me that Ralitsa despite her success never had lost the ground below her feet and she still knows where she came from and where her roots are. But it is not possible to say how much truth she is able or maybe willing to accept. For those things you need to know a person much better, sometimes over years.

If I should have hurt her, then I have to excuse.
What I can not do is to change the basic philosophy of capitalsim and the way capitalism works...sorry. These are things people like you and me have to accept or not but that will change nothing.

If you look back to the original blog then you will see that Ted Turner has also made his experiences with the way the capitalism works, when he said he was fired, and you can be sure that he had known before how it works.

Bernd