This isn’t another conspiracy, Tucker Carlson. YouTube
Controversy follows Tucker Carlson wherever he goes. He’s often been accused of spewing “flat out racist” immigration rants on his Fox News show.
But on rare occasions, Carlson’s invective can lead viewers to interesting insights.
Case in point: in his final segment on last night’s show, Carlson railed againstairports that play CNN in their waiting areas.
“Everyone’s watching CNN,” he said. “They don’t have a choice.”
Carlson, a former CNN host himself, said the decision “may have made sense 20 years ago, when CNN had a centrist reputation.”
But now, he contends, the channel is simply home to “wacky Russia conspiracy theories” and “strange spiritual advice from philosopher-poet Chris Cuomo.”
“Airports feel like a lesser version of hell with dirty seats, overpriced food and propaganda posing as news on CNN,” Carlson said.
So what gives?
Well, it turns out CNN pays 47 airports to air its channel. It also reimburses them for the televisions, cable connections and maintenance.
And CNN doesn’t skimp. Carlson said the network pays Miami International Airport $150,000 a year to play on its TVs.
This may have been news to Carlson, but CNN Airport (as the terminal service is called) has actually been around since 1992.
The travel-sized version of CNN features general news, weather, travel tips and stock market updates.
Sports are also a much bigger part of CNN Airport than the regular channel. The service broadcasts full-length NFL, NBA, MLB and NCAA men’s basketball games and tournaments.
Like its Atlanta-based parent, CNN Airport broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But since it caters to travelers, it doesn’t show graphic, sexually explicit or violent videos.
CNN Airport also doesn’t show video of air disasters, which must’ve made things difficult during CNN’s constant coverage of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370.
But of course, Carlson didn’t include any of that detail. He ended the show by playing the whole thing off as a joke with his fellow co-host Sean Hannity.
“You can’t pay me to watch CNN,” Hannity declared.
Classic Fox News: getting this close to an insight before pivoting to jokes about fake news.
