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CNN was the brainchild of maverick broadcasting executive Ted Turner, who was part of his Turner Broadcasting System (TBS). He purportedly started the station in reaction to the industry experts’ claim that it would be impossible to do so. During four years of development, the married couple of Dave Walker and Lois Hart anchored the famous news program to cover significant happenings in the country. The channel’s stronger rivals would initially disdainfully refer to it as the Chicken Noodle Network due to its relatively small resources. in this blog, we will try to find out What CNN News Stands for.
Orientation and Background of CNN
Maturing and expanding along with the cable industry, the channel maintained a loyal following by offering what the major networks did not: complete round-the-clock coverage of every big and small event. The slogan for that period was “Go live, stay with it, and make it count.” CNN’s global policy was not to allow such restrictive terms as “foreign” or “here at home” in its programs anymore.
According to a 1990 Times Mirror poll, the cable news network was rated “the most believable” of all television news sources. At the end of the 20th century, it became the number one news-collecting organization in the US and worldwide. It started small as a self-described “rough around the edge” long shot in its early days. Later, it became a reputable competitor that scared all other television news channels.
Many skeptics initially doubted television could sustain a 24-hour news network, but by the mid-1980s, several executives were convinced enough audience was following them. At the end of the 20th century, CNN has transformed itself into a family of networks that include CNN Headline News, CNN International, CNNfn (financial news), CNN Radio, CNN-SI (sports), CNN en Español, CNN Airport Network, and CNN Interactive.
CNN News Stands For?
CNN News stands for Cable News Network, an international news channel based in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. It was founded by American media mogul Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel and is currently owned by a Manhattan-based media enterprise, Warner. It is the third most-watched news cable channel in the US, with viewership in more than 212 countries across the globe. The most popular prime-time shows on TV are “The Situation Room” and “Anderson Cooper 360.” In the article below, we will discuss the brief history of the channel, its controversies, and the platforms used to catch its live online stream.
An Overview of CNN as a Global News Agency
Worldwide, CNN International carries news-related programming as CNN’s national and international news bureau’s partner. In contrast to its sibling channel, North American-exclusive subscription service CNN, CNN International is available on numerous television services worldwide. It has been broadcast from studios inside and outside the US, from international locations like:
- Atlanta
- New York City
- London
- Hong Kong
- Abu Dhabi
- Mumbai
It works as a free-to-air network in some countries. The channel’s coverage resembles BBC News, Rai Italia, Arirang TV, CBC News, and Al Jazeera English.
CNN International started airing several series tailored for European evening viewers, many named after anchors, particularly Amanpour. On September 21, 2009, the channel rolled out the new tagline, “Go beyond Borders,” alongside the new logo and merged all the general newscasts such as World News, World News Europe, CNN Today, World News Asia, and Your World.
The tagline “Go Beyond Borders” emphasizes the international viewpoint from which the information is obtained in this chain with the plurality of the audience. With this slogan, CNN also uses other mediums like CNN Mobile and CNN.com to disseminate information. Like the CNN Tooth & Nail agency, the creativity and marketing department created a new image. As part of the rebrand, an important aspect was airing a special evening program that included broadcasting Amanpour and World One programs. Critics denounced the recent changes to CNN International, including the new prime-time lineup and the redone graphics.
Controversies and Criticism on CNN
Since its founding, CNN has faced various controversies, criticisms, and allegations. It is famous for its spectacular live coverage of breaking news, which some viewers consider too sensational. CNN portrays itself as “The Most Trusted Name in News,” yet its effort to be nonpartisan has been accused of false balance.
A study found that some CNN evening news programs, like Anderson Cooper 360 and CNN Tonight, are more left-wing than some of the popular MSNBC shows, including The Rachel Maddow Show and The 11th Hour with Brian Williams. In January 2020, CNN settled a multi-million-dollar defamation suit brought by Nick Sandmann, a Covington Catholic High School student involved in an encounter with Nathan Phillips.
In this case, Chris Licht, who took over the network in 2022, intended to include many more Republican air personalities and reduce the opinion-oriented programs. According to reports, Chris was seeking a payment of 125 million dollars from CNN after being fired in December 2021 on charges relating to the breach of a contractual agreement. Similarly, the organization let Don Lemon go in April 2023.
CNN has frequently been accused of being biased towards a political party, such as Democrats. Jeff Zucker’s tenure has seen the emergence of partisan lean at the New York Times. In research conducted by the Shorenstein Center on Politics, Media, and Public Policy at Harvard University, Massachusetts, and the Project for Excellence in Journalism, the authors revealed disparate treatment by the Cable News Network of GOP and Democratic contenders during the initial five months of the presidential primaries in 2007: The GOP hopefuls were not spared either as CNN tended to make them look unfavorable at a ratio of three to one.
Platform to Catch CNN Coverage
You can stream CNN on its official website as a paid subscriber via your cable provider. If you are cord-cutting or have no cable, use Sling TV (50% for the first month), LiveNewsPro (the most budget-friendly news streaming platform), or DirecTV Stream (livestream CNN). Your choice will depend on each service's live and on-demand content and the price for the package. Some of these services provide tiered pricing channel packages, allowing you to narrow down the targeted news channels.
