Airport TV not a federal issue

When sitting at the airport waiting for a flight, there may be plenty of things to worry about. Whether my bags will make it to my destination, whether I will ever make it through that winding security line, and whether my shampoo bottle contains more than three ounces. But of all my time in airports, one thing I have never worried about is whether the airport televisions are tuned to the right channel. The same cannot be said for Iowa Congressman Steve King. King is upset that many televisions in airports across the country are tuned to CNN. He has even authored an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act that would force airports to turn the channel. Apparently CNN works out deals with airports that call for their televisions to be left on CNN. They pay the airports for that right, or pay to install the televisions. But Rep. King thinks travelers should have more choices, presumably Fox News. This is not something the government needs to be involved in. Travelers have plenty of choices for programming, right in the palm of their hands. If King wants to watch Fox News while sitting in an airport, he can do so right on his phone. Or he could watch a movie, or listen to music. We don’t need the federal government to determine what channels airport televisions can show. If the government really wants to do something to make the traveling experience more enjoyable, they should outlaw those $15 bloody marys.