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CNN announced on Tuesday that it would be removing the plug from its long-standing airport network, sparking many critics of the network on social media.
Network Chairman Jeff Zucker announced that the CNN Airport Network will officially end on March 31, citing “a sharp drop in airport traffic due to COVID-19, associated with all the new ways people consume content on their personal devices “.
“Saying goodbye to such a beloved brand isn’t easy,” Zucker wrote. “I would like to thank our friends and colleagues who have contributed to its success and to celebrate the fact that for 30 years, CNN’s airport system 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 have scoffed at the anti-Trump network for relying heavily on airport travelers for its audience, which had crumbled during much of the Trump presidency.
“The best. News. EVER,” NewsBusters editor-in-chief Curtis Houck said on Twitter.
“Wtf I love COVID now …” joked Amber Athey, editor of Spectator USA.
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“2021 is already getting better,” wrote Emily Zanotti, editor of the Daily Wire.
“CNN just lost 95% of its audience,” joked conservative commentator Matt Walsh.
“You hate to see it, and of course I hear CNN at the airport,” Twitter curator David Burge said.
For decades, CNN was the only network to appear on airport televisions as 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 standard CNN, as additional sports and weather segments are added while some video graphics are removed. CNN Airport is also doing everything possible to not broadcast any coverage on plane crashes or other disasters that could frighten passengers.
As part of the deal, CNN paid airports to leave the network, and many travel centers even have deals in which CNN pays for their TVs and infrastructure. The Philadelphia Inquirer previously reported that airports are also given “up to six minutes per hour to promote the airport or local attractions” as part of the agreement.
“CNN Airport covers the costs of televisions and related infrastructure, provides programs specifically tailored to airports and pays us for the opportunity to be at our facilities,” a representative from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International told Fox News in 2018, while Miami International spokesperson simply referred to a document proving CNN is willing to pay the most.
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Long-term contracts typically gave CNN the ability to manage the content that travelers saw, whether they wanted to 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 each year to ensure the deal is on par with similar airports.
For years, the agreements had blurred the lines between news and advertising as the network blurred the lines between news and political activism.
Brian Flood of Fox News contributed to this report.
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