After facing years of declining ratings and mounting criticism for its biased reporting, CNN announced on Friday that it would be closing its doors at its Atlanta headquarters. The move marks an important moment in the outlet’s history, as it has been broadcasting from the CNN Center for over 35 years.
In her opening monologue, CNN’s Kate Bolduan stated that the closing of the Atlanta headquarters was a significant decision for the network. She also revealed that Friday’s show would be the final broadcast from the CNN Center.
According to sources, the network’s decision to close the center has been in the works for some time now. In recent years, CNN had already shifted its weekday anchors to New York or Washington D.C. However, the CNN Center in Atlanta still housed crucial operations, including its digital and international branches.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the network’s move out of its namesake building was a gradual process. The CNN Center has been an iconic landmark in the city of Atlanta, serving not only as a corporate headquarters but also as a tourist attraction. The network’s famous logo has been a fixture in the city’s skyline for many years.
END OF AN ERA: CNN’s @KateBolduan reveals @NewsCentralCNN will be the final show produced from the CNN Center in Atlanta as staff will be moving to a new building.
Almost none of CNN’s shows are actually anchored/hosted there anymore, but large parts of the staff have stayed. pic.twitter.com/MT0BJajdGb
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 27, 2023
However, CNN had effectively shifted its headquarters to New York years ago, and the CNN Center was gradually being emptied out. In 2020, AT&T, CNN’s former parent company, had sold the building to real estate firms for approximately $164 million as a cost-saving measure. These firms have not yet commented on how CNN’s departure will affect the building’s other tenants and operations.
The network’s new owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, has been preparing smaller space for CNN at its Techwood campus in Midtown. Turner Techwood has been the home of CNN since its inception in 1979. It currently houses other cable networks like TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, and truTV, as well as sports programming.
This move comes at a time when CNN is facing record-low ratings and a decline in trust from the American public. In the third quarter of 2023, CNN saw a historic low of 119,000 average prime-time viewers in the key demographic and 88,000 average total day viewers in the same demographic. For comparison, Fox News had 1.10 million total viewers during the same period, while MSNBC had 813,000.
The decline in ratings and trust in CNN can be attributed to its constant broadcasting of biased and leftist opinions, causing many Americans to turn away from mainstream media outlets. This trend has only accelerated in recent years, leading to CNN’s decision to close its Atlanta headquarters and consolidate its operations in other locations.
As CNN bids farewell to its Atlanta headquarters, it remains to be seen how this move will impact its future. With its new owner and a shifting media landscape, CNN must find a way to regain the trust of its viewers and adapt to changing times to survive and thrive in the highly competitive media industry.