CNN President Jeff Zucker in a memo sent to the team on Tuesday blamed the coronavirus pandemic for causing the end of CNN’s Airport Network after 30 years of operation.
Zucker announced that the network, which aired at 54 airports in the United States and Bermuda, will end its business “as of March 31,” citing the interruption of the pandemic in air travel in the United States and worldwide.
He also cited that travelers began to broadcast news on their personal devices.
“The sharp decline in airport traffic due to COVID-19, coupled with all the new ways people are consuming content on their personal devices, has lessened the need for the CNN Airport Network,” said Zucker in the memo obtained by The Hill .
“Having to say goodbye to such a beloved brand is not easy,” he continued. “I want to thank our friends and colleagues who contributed to its success and celebrate the fact that, for 30 years, the CNN Airport Network has kept millions of domestic travelers informed. It has also become an iconic part of the travel experience in the country. “
Jeff Zucker notified the CNN team that “CNN’s airport network will end operations on March 31”.
“The sharp decline in airport traffic due to COVID-19, along with all the new ways that people are consuming content on their personal devices, has lessened the need …” pic.twitter.com/9se3oCw1gr
– Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 12, 2021
People informed about the matter told the Los Angeles Times the ad-supported CNN Airport Network was no longer considered profitable. The shutdown will result in layoffs for about two dozen employees at CNN’s Atlanta headquarters.
The CNN airport network was first launched in 1990.
Air travel plummeted during the pandemic, although the Transportation Security Administration counted that millions boarded planes in the days around Thanksgiving and Christmas.