And it's dead quiet, except that cnn is on every damn screen in the airport, brainwashing everyone waiting to board.
Who the hell decided CNN gets the monopoly on airport TV?
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And it's dead quiet, except that cnn is on every damn screen in the airport, brainwashing everyone waiting to board.
Who the hell decided CNN gets the monopoly on airport TV?
Other posters are claiming CNN pays the airports. I don't believe that's true, but I haven't seen the contracts. Money does change hands, but it's a local transaction.
What CNN does: provide a channel to airports that is free of news that might upset an airport traveler. The news feed is usually "Headline News", but they keep an alternate story cued up if something like an airplane crash is being reported on Headline News.
Nearly all "national" cable channels make their money by selling advertising. Some of the ad slots are reserved to CNN, and they get paid for those by the advertiser. But, there are also "local origination" ad slots, which are reserved for the local cable or satellite system. The cable/satellite operator sells those ad slots and collects the revenue.
What does this have to do with the Airport Channel? Ad slots are reserved for the airport authority, and they can sell those to collect the revenue. I usually see ads that are relevant only to people waiting at the airport, such as merchants/restaurants operating at the airport.
CNN offers technical assistance to set up the system, and may even subsidize the equipment. But, once it is installed, the local origination ad slots are a revenue generator for the airport.
(An aside: the IR ports on the TVs are blocked. You can't change the channel remotely)
This is correct.
You're not seeing things like Geico ads at international airports. You're seeing ads for luxury brands or travel destinations.
It's been a while since I've been in an airport, and I didn't pay enough attention to the TV to remember the national origin ads. But you are right: CNN sells their ad slots to advertisers that target airport travelers (and people that can afford to fly).
The reason the "local" origination ads stood out to me: they were usually "amateurish" productions, often nothing but a still image with a (amateur) voice-over. They reminded me of some of the local origination ads I've seen on cable stations -- so bad they were unintentionally funny.
That reminds me of an epic series of commercials from southern California: Cal Worthington Ford. Cal would appear with "my dog Spot", but Spot was a large variety of animals: monkey, tiger, reindeer, and even a camel. You can search for "Cal Worthingon" on Youtube and find lots of examples.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_Worthington#%22My_Dog_Spot%22_ads
I didn't write "viewer". I wrote "airport traveler".
Reportedly, they also consider the impact on children, as well... since their parents can't turn it off or change the channel.