Discuss: Airport censorship?

derky17 · March 2010

Last week, during our layover on the trip home from my conference we were sitting in the airport watching CNN Headline news. One of the stories was an investigational story with the lead-in "is your flight toxic?" CNN went to commercial and then once the anchor came back on to introduced the story, the channel was changed. Not by any of us--the airport (or airline or terminal--whoever) changed the channel (I'll be honest, I wasn't sure airports GOT any other channel other than HLN). Once the story was over, it went back to CNN Headline news.

Anyway, I found that action very, very "interesting." Maybe it's because I don't consider myself an over-reactor--I wouldn't listen to that report and then demand to see the air filters on the plane, I'd try to objectively see it from all sides, think about it, research it some more, and then draw my own conclusions. I'm sure there are others that wouldn't react nearly as logically. Buuuttt....it does beg the question, if there wasn't some truth to the story, then why would the airport/airline bother to change the channel??

Would they change the channel to keep passengers "in the dark" about a plane crash too? (I put it in "" because I doubt they would suspend wifi and cell phones from passing along the news.)

WDYT?? I do think they are certainly within their legal rights to do what they did. They don't have to provide ANY televisions at all--I understand they are a courtesy to help pass time. It just sort of makes me raise my eyebrows and wonder....

ShhLovesJkh · March 2010

Why I do find it odd that they changed the channel, maybe they did so because of the amount of people that may overreact. The world is definitely full of crazies. People may have been filled with questions and flights could have been possibly interrupted if they were having to hold a plane for the crazies demanding answers. Who knows! Definitely odd though.

terpbrideinnc · March 2010

That's interesting that they'd keep so close an eye on what's actually on the show, I figured they just let it go. I dunno, as far as the airline industry I kinda feel like they "do what they gotta do" and don't really question too much b/c I figure I rarely have more than a fraction of the knowledge that they do on any given event.

CurbsideProphet · March 2010

I can see how it would be easier for them to change the channel. However since you already heard the info about the upcoming piece it would not be hard to look up the info later.

laudanum1 · March 2010

Legal right to do what they did aside (you're right, perfectly legal)...if I was the owner of a business that happened to have televisions around for customers to watch, I'd probably consider changing the channel too if something negative or condescending related to my line of business were featured.

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