Airports' Cnn Feeds: Who Pays For The News?

CNN Airport was an American television network that operated until March 31, 2021. It was available in 58 airports across the United States, broadcasting news, weather, sports, and travel content to travellers. The network's presence in airports has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that CNN pays airports to maintain its monopoly on airport television screens, forcing travellers to watch its content. While some airports have chosen to terminate their contracts with CNN, others continue to air its programming. The topic of CNN's presence in airports and the associated payments has been a subject of debate and scrutiny.

CNN pays airports to broadcast their content

CNN Airport was an American out-of-home television network that broadcast news, weather, stock market updates, entertainment, and travel content to airports across the United States. The network was available in 58 airports in the United States, and CNN paid local airport authorities for the exclusive rights to run its programming on monitors throughout their terminals.

CNN's presence in airports has been a topic of debate, with some criticising the network's ideological programming and questioning whether busy travellers should be subjected to it. It has also been accused of spreading anti-Trump propaganda and conspiracy theories. According to reports, CNN pays airports to leave the network on, and some travel hubs even have agreements where CNN pays for their TVs and infrastructure.

The agreements between CNN and airports have been described as blurring the lines between news and advertising, as the network itself blurs the lines between news and political activism. While some airports have chosen to terminate their contracts with CNN, citing improved mobile technology and airport Wi-Fi as reasons, others have continued their relationships with the network due to financial incentives.

CNN Airport was not the same feed as the standard CNN channel. It included additional sports and weather segments, while graphic video and coverage of plane crashes or air disasters were removed to cater to the airport audience. The network also had stricter content standards than regular CNN to ensure that travellers were not exposed to disturbing content while waiting for their flights.

Airports pay for a specific version of CNN

The presence of CNN in airports across the United States has been a topic of discussion and scrutiny. The CNN Airport network dates back to when the channel was known for straightforward news programming, and has been a fixture at airports since 1992. It is important to note that the airport version of CNN is not the exact same feed as the standard CNN. The airport version includes additional sports and weather segments, while some graphic videos and coverage of plane crashes or air disasters are removed.

CNN Airport was available in 58 airports in the United States, including some of the busiest travel hubs, before it discontinued operations on March 31, 2021. The network paid local airport authorities for the exclusive rights to broadcast its programming on monitors throughout the terminals. This included a mix of news, sports, lifestyle, travel, and local airport content.

The agreements between CNN and airports have been described as blurring the lines between news and advertising, as airports received up to six minutes each hour to promote themselves or local attractions. The network's prominence in public waiting areas also led to stricter content standards, excluding graphic or sensitive content that could be distressing to travellers.

While some airports chose CNN Airport due to a lack of alternative options or the cost-effectiveness of the service, others have faced criticism for subjecting travellers to ideological programming. The network's shift in political leanings has been a particular point of contention, with critics arguing that busy travellers should not be forced to watch partisan content.

In summary, airports did pay for a specific version of CNN, known as CNN Airport, which was curated specifically for travellers and included additional sports and weather content while excluding sensitive material. This version of CNN was available in numerous airports across the United States until the network ceased operations in 2021.

CNN's airport monopoly

CNN Airport, an American out-of-home television network, was available in 58 airports across the United States. The network paid local airport authorities for the exclusive rights to broadcast its content on monitors throughout airport terminals. CNN Airport was launched in 1991 and officially debuted in 1992 as a branch of CNN, known as the CNN Airport Network.

The network paid airports upwards of $150,000 a year for multi-year contracts, installing TV monitors throughout airport facilities. They even rented storefront space to sell their brand and attract advertisers. This business model allowed CNN to create a monopoly in airports, squeezing out any potential competitors. As a result of these contracts, CNN controlled the feed on the monitors, with channels and volume unable to be altered.

However, CNN's airport monopoly has come under increasing scrutiny and criticism in recent years. The network has been accused of shifting from non-partisan, straightforward news programming to becoming increasingly ideological and partisan. Critics have questioned whether busy travellers should be subjected to CNN's content, which has included mocking President Trump and promoting left-wing values. Many travellers have taken to social media and started petitions to urge airports to change the channel or turn it off.

In addition to ideological concerns, the ubiquity of mobile devices and free airport Wi-Fi has also contributed to the decline of CNN's airport monopoly. Travellers now have the ability to curate their own content, making the need for airport TV monitors obsolete. As a result, some airports have terminated their relationships with CNN, citing changes in consumer behaviour and the ability of travellers to access content on their own devices.

CNN's airport content is different from its regular feed

CNN Airport was an American out-of-home television network that operated from 1992 to 2021. It was available in 58 airports across the United States, broadcasting a mix of news, sports, lifestyle, travel, and local content. The CNN Airport feed differed from the standard CNN feed in several ways:

Content Standards

Due to its prominence in public waiting areas of airports, the CNN Airport network adhered to stricter content standards than regular CNN. Stories involving commercial aviation incidents, crashes, sexual content, and graphic violence were not aired on the network. Instead, these stories were overlaid with automated weather conditions or other appropriate content.

Sports Coverage

The CNN Airport network included sports coverage from Turner Sports properties, as well as other sports rights such as the NFL and the Super Bowl, which were contractually bound to only be aired on airport screens.

Commercial Breaks

During commercial breaks, the CNN Airport network aired interstitials from other Turner and Time Warner properties. Additionally, the network had the ability to break into programming for airport-wide advisory messages.

On-Screen Graphics

The CNN Airport network's digital on-screen graphics were designed to be larger than industry standards, ensuring that fonts were readable from a distance.

Local Airport Inserts

The CNN Airport network dedicated 10% of its airtime to local inserts from airports if warranted, allowing for customized content relevant to specific airports.

These differences in content and presentation between the CNN Airport feed and the regular CNN feed were designed to cater to the unique environment and audience of airports, ensuring that the programming was suitable and engaging for travellers waiting for their flights.

CNN's presence in airports is often mocked

CNN's prominence in airports has been a source of ridicule for years, with critics mocking the network for relying heavily on airport travellers for its viewership. This perception of CNN as an airport-only channel led to jokes about the network's irrelevance, such as "CNN has just forfeited 95 percent of its viewership" and "You hate to see it, and by that I of course mean CNN at the airport".

The mockery directed at CNN's airport presence also stems from the network's ideological programming, which some travellers found objectionable. The network's left-leaning content, including on-screen subtitles that mocked President Trump, led to complaints from travellers and even petitions to have the channel changed. The criticism highlights a perceived issue of subjecting a captive audience of travellers to partisan content, especially as CNN paid airports to maintain its exclusivity.

While some airports valued the financial benefits of their agreements with CNN, others recognised the need to respect the mental health of travellers. Pop culture blogger Gary Holmes, for instance, argued that the constant blaring of news programmes in airports contributes to travellers' stress and is unnecessary given the availability of news on smartphones.

The discontinuation of CNN Airport in 2021 was officially attributed to the decline in airport traffic and the shift towards personal devices for content consumption. However, the network's ubiquity in airports, where it was once the only network available on airport televisions, remains a source of mockery and criticism.

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