CNN announced on Tuesday that it would shut down its Airport Network, causing jubilation among many of the network’s critics on social media.
Network President Jeff Zucker announced that the CNN Airport Network will officially end on March 31, citing a “profound decline in airport traffic because of COVID-19, along with all the new ways that people are consuming content on your personal devices. “
“Having to say goodbye to such a beloved brand is not easy,” wrote Zucker. “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 this country. “
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For years, CNN critics scoffed at the anti-Trump network for relying heavily on airport travelers for its audience, which had affected much of the Trump presidency.
“The best news. EVER,” said Curtis Houck, editor of NewsBusters, on Twitter.
“Wtf I love COVID now …”, joked Amber Athey, editor of Spectator USA.
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“2021 is already getting better,” wrote Daily Wire senior editor Emily Zanotti.
“CNN has just lost 95% of its audience,” joked conservative commentator Matt Walsh.
“You hate to see this, and by that, of course, I mean CNN at the airport,” said Twitter conservative David Burge.
For decades, CNN was the only chain to appear on airport televisions while travelers waited at gates, bars, food courts and baggage claim carousels.
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CNN Airport does not use exactly the same feed as the standard CNN, as additional sports and weather segments are added while some graphic videos are removed. CNN Airport also does its best not to transmit any coverage of plane crashes or other disasters that might scare passengers.
As part of the deal, CNN paid airports to leave the network on, and many travel centers even have deals where CNN pays for their TVs and infrastructure. The Philadelphia Inquirer previously reported that airports also receive “up to six minutes an hour to promote the airport or local attractions” as part of the deal.
“CNN Airport covers the costs related to TVs and related infrastructure, provides programming specifically aimed at airports and pays us for the opportunity to be on our premises,” a Minneapolis-Saint Paul International representative told Fox News in 2018, while Miami O International spokesman simply pointed to a document proving that CNN is willing to pay more.
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Long-term contracts typically gave CNN the ability to select content viewed by travelers, whether they liked it or not. The eight-year contract that was signed in 2016 promises Miami International Airport “a maximum annual guarantee of $ 150,000”, which can be adjusted annually to ensure that the business is on an equal footing with similar airports.
For years, the deals blurred the boundaries between news and advertising, while the network blurred the boundaries between news and political activism.
Brian Flood of Fox News contributed to this report.