Although it launched yesterday, today CNN issued a release announcing CNN.com’s new layout. CNN also announced that to celebrate this, Pipeline will be available free of charge on Thursday…

CNN.com today announced the launch of a new, expanded home page designed to offer users easier and faster access to more news and information than ever before.

“This new home page presentation provides quicker, easier access to our extensive offering of news, video, podcasts and other multimedia packages,” said Mitch Gelman, senior vice president and executive producer of CNN.com. “The design also creates new ways to align our efforts with CNN’s broadcast networks, clearly presents both our free video and our premium CNN Pipeline live video service, and offers more placement opportunities for our advertisers.”

The changes include placing the main site navigation bar at the top of the home page, providing easier access to general content as soon as users visit CNN.com. The new design makes a clearer distinction between CNN.com’s offering of free video and that of CNN Pipeline, a premium on-demand broadband video news service which features up to four simultaneous live feeds. The changes also provide “Most Popular” tabs enabling users to click directly to the most viewed articles and videos on the site. Finally, a wider screen format allows for more content “above the fold” and creates prominent eye-catching ad placement opportunities.

“Advertisers continue to search for alternative ways to enhance the value of their brands and messages across emerging technologies and engage with consumers,” said Joe Dugan, senior vice president of CNN Digital Sales. “The new home page design presents advertisers a clean, clutter-free environment to showcase their message while reaching the valued audience of CNN.com.”

Westin Hotels and Resorts, a part of the Starwood Group, is among the first advertisers to take advantage of a fixed rectangular ad unit prominent on the newly designed home page.

To coincide with the debut of its new home page, CNN.com will offer broadband Internet users worldwide free access to CNN Pipeline on Thursday, March 30, from midnight until 11:59 p.m. (ET). Throughout the day, Internet users will have the ability to view ongoing and breaking news events across the world through CNN Pipeline’s multiple live video streams, video archives and on-demand news clips from CNN’s unmatched global newsgathering operation.