CNN Will Stop Being Aired At U.S. Airports

by SharonKurheg

The CNN Airport Network, the family-friendly spin-off of CNN that’s shown in 60 airports across the country, is permanently going off the air.

Jeff Zucker, President of CNN Worldwide, notified his staff on January 12th that the CNN Airport Network, which has been shown in airports across the U.S. for 30 years, will end operations as of March 31.

He cited the reasons for the shutdown as the vast decrease in airport traffic due to COVID and all the new ways people are consuming content on their personal devices. He says the two have, “…lessened the need for the CNN Airport Network.”

Here is his letter, as tweeted by Oliver Darcy:

a screenshot of a news

January 12, 2021

Today, we are announcing that the CNN Airport Network will end operations as of March 31.

The steep decline in airport traffic because of COVID-19, coupled with all the new ways that people are consuming content on their personal devices, has lessened the need for the CNN Airport Network.

Having to say goodbye to such a beloved brand is not easy. I want to thank our friends and colleagues who have contributed to its success and to celebrate the fact that for 30 years, the CNN Airport Network has kept millions of domestic travelers informed. It also became an iconic part of the traveling experience in this country.

I am sure most of us have a story to tell about which airport we were at when we first learned of a major news event. Be proud that we had a hand in sharing some incredible stories with many millions of people over the past three decades.

Jeff

CNN Airport News was significantly more news-oriented than its parent CNN, which is more politically-oriented. However many right-leaning viewers have wished, some more loudly than others, that CNN Airport News could be replaced with a different network. Maybe they’ll now be able to have their wish. Either that or people can watch their own screens. Anyway, we gave a brief history of the CNN Airport Network in this post.

There’s no word if the CNN Airport Network employees will be laid off or will be given alternate positions within CNN.

Feature Photo: public domain

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

2 comments

DT January 14, 2021 - 2:30 pm

Saw TV screens, but the viewing area was limited to a few rows of select seating (at least the ones I saw). In all my previous travels, I may have watched it once or twice for a few minutes. Easier to get news feeds on my phone.
I suspect with all the airport entertainment and short connecting times, having access to a captive audience is very limited.

Reply
guflyer January 16, 2021 - 2:05 am

In past years, I appreciated when the network would air March Madness games when they were on Turner networks. I have seen this bring about a fun atmosphere to the gate area.

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