CNN Chairman Jeff Zucker in a memo sent to staff on Tuesday blamed the coronavirus pandemic for ending 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, will cease operations “starting March 31,” citing the pandemic’s disruption to air travel in the US and the world.
He also pointed out that travelers have turned to streaming news on their personal devices.
“The sharp drop 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 obtained by The Hill.
“It is not easy to say goodbye to such a beloved brand,” he continued. “I want to thank our friends and colleagues who contributed to its success and to celebrate the fact that the CNN Airport Network has kept millions of domestic travelers informed for 30 years. It also became an iconic part of the country’s travel experience. “
Jeff Zucker has informed CNN staff that “the CNN Airport Network will end operations by March 31.”
“The sharp drop in airport traffic due to COVID-19, coupled with all the new ways people consume content on their personal devices, has reduced the need …” pic.twitter.com/9se3oCw1gr
– Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 12, 2021
People who had been briefed on the matter reported Los Angeles Times the CNN Airport Network, supported by advertising, was no longer considered profitable. The closure 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 fell sharply during the pandemic, although the Transportation Security Administration counted millions of planes boarding on the days near Thanksgiving and Christmas.