As the home to the world’s leader in 24 hour news reporting, CNN’s Atlanta studios offer visitors a unique chance to get and up close and personal view of how the news is made. With three tour options to choose from, all visitors are able to explore their personal interests from the basic news to beloved morning shows.
About CNN
The Cable News Network, better known as CNN, got its start way back in 1980, breaking ground by providing the world’s first 24-hour news stream. Indeed the rise of CNN allowed this niche of entertainment to gain traction in the public eye in the years that followed. Founded by media mogul Ted Turner, CNN began to define the genre of news-as-entertainment while still reporting on every major domestic and global news item since that time—it was the only network to broadcast the Challenger disaster and the first to break the news of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. CNN continues to lead the 24-hour news industry with a global reach that consists of broadcasts in more than 212 countries and territories worldwide.
Money Saving Tip! The Inside CNN Studio Tour is included on the Atlanta CityPass. If you are sightseeing in Atlanta, you can save a lot of money with the card.
From the start, CNN’s Atlanta studios were an important base of its operation and it remains the location where most of the network’s regular shows and broadcasts are filmed although there are additional studios in New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles as well as others worldwide for its affiliates.
Over the years, the mounting appeal of 24 hour news has only increased the influence of CNN, leading to a leaderboard that speaks for itself. As of 2010, CNN was broadcast in more than 100 million American households and 890,000 U.S. hotel rooms. CNN/U.S., as its domestic channel is officially called is broadcast as-is in Canada. Its worldwide affiliate, CNN International, reaches more than 212 countries and has access to over 1 billion people.
As part of the extensive Turner Media Group, CNN has a massive influence on not only the news, but popular culture as well. Its sister stations include CNN Airport Network, CNN-IBN, CNN en Español, HLN, CNN Chile, TNN, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), Cartoon Network, Boomerang, TruTV, and TBS.
Inside CNN Studio Tour: About the Tour
The Atlanta-based operation for CNN Studios is considered its Worldwide Headquarters where most of the most well-known regular shows and broadcasts from the U.S. network are filmed. Located at 190 Marietta St. NW, the studio is right in the heart of downtown Atlanta, near Centennial Olympic Park where most other popular Atlanta attractions, such as the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola, are located.
The studio offers three, distinct tour options that visitors can consider based on their time and interest. The basic Inside CNN tour lasts 55 minutes and takes visitors through all the major areas of the studio, including its famous escalator, which is the longest freestanding escalator in the world. Visitors will also get to see the stages where the news is filmed as well as learn insider’s facts about the studio and its daily operations.
Additional tour options include the Inside CNN VIP Tour. This extended tour is only available three times a day on Monday-Saturday and is reserved for those ages 12+. The VIP tour offers a glimpse into the control room of HLN as well as the actual newsrooms where CNN films most of its regular broadcasts. The other option is the Morning Express Tour with Robin Meade. This tour is only offered on Thursdays and includes an exclusive opportunity to interact with CNN’s on-air talent, including Robin herself, and its sister station, HLN. This tour is also only available for those ages 12+.
Don’t Miss the Inside CNN Studio Tour
As the World’s Leader in Broadcast News, CNN is a powerhouse for information and entertainment in the 21st century. With a proud history that dates back before 24 hour news became commonplace in our culture, the chance to see how this global leader operates from the inside out is a truly unique and entertaining way to spend time in Atlanta.