Zucker's decision to axe CNN Airport was yet another bluster on his part. It was used not only for live CNN and HLN but it syndicated content from Turner's other networks like Cartoon Network and TBS. His decision kept Discovery from adding its content to the rotation.

Zucker rationalized the decision by blaming streaming services and other mobile media but I don't buy that because Airport was still invasive - i.e., people look up from their devices and could still be seeing CNN, etc. today. And, from a business perspective, it required very few internal technical resources (a single master control system and operator) so the costs were almost certainly exclusive to whatever fees CNN paid to airports to install their receivers and displays.

(Full disclosure: I'm a former operations-level CNN employee, half speculating from my time at CNN WHQ)

Trump kept CNN in the public eye, too, with all his outbursts against Jim Acosta and near constant mentions of 'fake news CNN'. Thereafter, anyone who opposed Trumpian tyranny would seek out CNN.