Airport Check-in: South Bend asks fliers to choose between Fox, CNN
— -- Five professors from the University of Notre Dame have complained about the airing of Fox News Channel at South Bend Regional Airport, prompting airport officials to conduct a survey on passengers' TV preference.
The airport's 15 monitors broadcast either CNN or Fox News, airport director John Schalliol says. But the professors, led by ethics professor Darcia Narvaez, wrote to Schalliol last month to urge him to switch fully to more "politically neutral" content, such as the Weather Channel or CSPAN, Narvaez says.
Narvaez says the professors would not object if all sets were tuned to CNN, which she considers to be more objective than Fox News. "Fox tends to be the right-wing Republican voice," she says. "So when I go to the airport, I'm not interested in having that blasted at me. The airport is a public space."
Schalliol says the survey, which aims to collect responses from 1,000 passengers, will help the airport board determine the next course of action, but added that the results so far give him no reason to seek a change.
Of about 400 responses so far, about 300 expressed preference for news over other programming categories such as weather, sports or children's shows, he says. Of those favoring news, 132 respondents preferred CNN, 113 were for Fox, 58 for MSNBC and four for CSPAN.
RALEIGH-DURHAM, N.C.: First phase of terminal ready
With the first phase completed, the new Terminal 2 of Raleigh-Durham International will be opening to the public for a sneak preview Saturday.
The $570 million construction project will formally open on Oct. 26, and become home to several airlines, including American, Delta, United and Air Canada.
The second phase will be completed in 2011. When completed, Terminal 2 will be the airport's largest terminal and house 32 gates.
DALLAS: Southwest plans priority security lanes
Southwest Airlines will introduce later this month new priority security lanes for its top customers. Its Business Select customers — the most expensive fare category — and frequent-flier members who fly at least 16 trips a year will be eligible to use the lanes.
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