CNN President Jeff Zucker in a memorandum sent to staff on Tuesday blamed the coronavirus pandemic for causing the end of the CNN airport network after 30 years of operation.
Zucker announced that the network, which was broadcast at 54 airports in the US and Bermuda, would cease its operations “on March 31”, citing the interruption of the pandemic in air travel in the US and the world.
He also quoted travelers turning their news on their personal devices.
“The sharp decline in airport traffic due to COVID-19, coupled with all the new ways people consume content on their personal devices, has reduced the need for the CNN Airport Network,” Zucker said in the memo received by The Hill .
“It’s not easy to have to say goodbye to such a beloved brand,” he continued. “I want to thank our friends and colleagues who have contributed to its success, and to celebrate the fact that the CNN Airport Network has been keeping millions of travelers informed for thirty years. It has also become an iconic part of the travel experience in the country. ”
Jeff Zucker informed CNN staff that “the CNN airport network will be terminated as of March 31.”
“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 reduced the need …” pic.twitter.com/9se3oCw1gr
– Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) 12 January 2021
People who have been informed about the case have the Los Angeles Times the ad-supported CNN Airport Network is no longer considered profitable. The strike will lead to the dismissal of about two dozen employees at CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta.
The CNN Airport Network was first introduced in 1990.
Air travel declined during the pandemic, though the Transportation Security Administration estimated that millions boarded planes on the days near Thanksgiving and Christmas.