CNNfn (fn = financial news) was an American cable television news network operated by the CNN subsidiary of the media conglomerate Time Warner from December 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, TechTV and Bloomberg Television.
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 (now BNN).
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, though it is available through the CNN website and mobile app with TV Everywhere credentials.
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 (and subsequently sale to Meredith Corporation, and later, to IAC's Dotdash).
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 (only from Monday to 12 am on Friday). All the times ET.
Weekdays
6 am - CNNmoney morning
8 am - Before Hours
9:29 am - Market Call
11:50 am - The Biz
12:30 pm - The Money Gang
3pm - Street Sweep
5pm - The N.E.W. Show
6pm - Moneyline
7pm - Business Unusual
7:30pm - The Biz
8pm - The N.E.W Show (re-broadcast) 9pm - Moneyline (re-broadcast) 10pm - The Biz (30-minute edited edition, re-broadcast) 10:30pm - Weekend Show rotation 11pm - Moneyline (re-broadcast) 12am - Business Unusual (re-broadcast) 12:30am - World Business This Morning (Live from London) 1am - Weekend Show rotation 1:30am - World Business This Morning (Live from London) 2am - Moneyline (re-broadcast) 2:30am - World Business This Morning (Live from London) 3am and 3:30am - The Biz (re-broadcast) 4am - The N.E.W. Show (re-broadcast) 5am - Moneyline (re-broadcast)