CNNfn


CNNfn was an American cable television news network operated by the CNN subsidiary of the media conglomerate Time Warner from November 29, 1995, and of AOL Time Warner until December 15, 2004. The network was dedicated to covering financial markets and business news, similar to CNBC.
It was available in a number of markets, including the U.S. and Australia. In Canada, much of its content was aired on ROB TV.
After years of struggling to attract an audience, Time Warner folded CNNfn in late 2004. On some U.S. cable television systems, its slot was given to CNN International on a full-time basis; previously, CNN International filled CNNfn's schedule in late nights and weekends. However, many cable companies ended their carriage of the channel and did not take CNN International.
CNN continues to maintain a business news vertical on digital platforms, now known as CNN Business. The vertical was originally CNNMoney—a partnership with the Time Warner-owned financial magazines Fortune and Money. The partnership was folded after Time Warner spun out its publishing assets.

Network history

In 1995, Lou Dobbs and Ted Turner were having heated internal discussions about the direction of CNN. Dobbs was able to convince Turner that letting him start a new channel would be a way to solve both issues. Turner would keep Dobbs working for CNN while giving him his own network to run.
In July 1999, Dobbs quit CNNfn and started his own company, Space.com, and eventually returned to CNN to host Lou Dobbs Tonight.
From the start, CNNfn struggled to be picked up by local and national cable operators. In 2004, the official CNNfn network was shut down. However the technologies invented in the early CNNfn days helped launch CNN and the entire broadcasting industry into a new digital era. The CNNfn.com website continued on, and in 2001 merged with Money Magazine to form CNNMoney.

Schedule

The schedule below is taken from the now-defunct site of CNNfn as at 2001. All the times ET.

Weekdays

CNNfn inaugurated many innovations on TV and online. Many of these helped the Internet and broadcasting industry become what they are today. Just a few of these accomplishments include:
In the summer of 1996 the top two technology members of Lou Dobb's team, Sam Edge and Nils Lahr, threatened to quit CNNfn if changes were not made to allow them more creative control in implementing new technologies. Additionally, they wanted some level of credit and increased internal recognition through proposed promotions. Dobbs tried to keep these key members of the team at CNNfn by offering them higher wages and even went as far as to suggest that he would create an entire company dedicated to high-technology research in connection with Gartner such that the advancements that were made would become knowledge that could be sold to others. However Dobbs was unable to make this happen quickly inside of CNN as there was resistance from Turner and others. In late 1996, Edge moved to CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, and Lahr left to join the startup VXtreme. Dobbs made a last-ditch attempt to keep Nils inside CNN by attempting to sue him, claiming there were "important" and "unfinished" duties that required his attention at CNNfn. The lawsuit, however, was thrown out and Lahr was allowed to leave. Shortly after Dobbs quit CNNfn and as promised started his own company Space.com.