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I have stayed at a number of business hotels, and in so many of them, every time I turn on the TV, it's Jodi Arias trial on HLN. Go get breakfast, Jodi Arias and HLN again.

Why do so many business hotels, including Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton brands, have HLN as their default channel? I've never even heard of this channel before staying at Hyatt and Marriott. Who cares about the Jodi Arias trial, and how can people watch this every day for free and without extra pay? What happened to CNN?

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HLN is CNN Head Line News. –  Karlson May 16 '13 at 16:18
They even provide channels for adults in many hotels for a fee and they will not show it in the bill, they usually show it as "Room Service 2" or something similar. Feel free to order a movie or two.. –  user1712 May 16 '13 at 17:42
Down in the Dixie land its mostly Gospel TV. Not only in hotels but in them express oil change stores too. Damned if you change them channels when there is more than you in there. –  happybuddha May 17 '13 at 3:17
Ask the hotel manager some time. –  Flimzy May 19 '13 at 9:40
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closed as off topic by choster, Gilles, Karlson, HaLaBi, Vince May 16 '13 at 18:32


2 Answers

I think it's a combination of things:

  • many business travelers want the news, weather, and such both for their current location and for other places
  • unlike a local news channel that might rely on previous knowledge of the "troubled mayor" or "controversial highway project" CNN and especially HLN explains everything from the beginning every time (which is why it makes you mental to watch it for any length of time)
  • the channel will never play a horror movie or CSI Extra Gross Unit, nor a movie of the week about a dying baby which might upset someone
  • because it's so repetitive, you will be driven to change the channel eventually and that might lead you to choose a pay pre view or the like
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You don't sound like you've been violated with the HLN content and commentary yet. They do show all those pictures of the murders pretty often, and they constantly discuss various murders and findings of various extra gross units. It's not a food network by any means. –  cnst May 16 '13 at 20:39
I long ago realized that America has only two channels: sports and politics. Occasionally it has a third: violent crime. I solve this by leaving the TV off. There have been times I have been in a room for 5 full days and have no proof the TV actually worked. Once on Day 4 I discovered it didn't. –  Kate Gregory May 16 '13 at 20:40
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Because it's relatively unoffensive newsertainment; I think they would be better off with The Puppy Channel (http://www.thepuppychannel.com/).

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Unoffensive? I think an insistence that people can't stop watching the stupid Arias trial, when the said trial in the form of HLN is literally put down their throats, is quite offensive to one's intelligence, and certainly to that of the business-people. I want to know how my stocks are doing, not what irrelevant people have to say about an irrelevant trial. –  cnst May 16 '13 at 18:10
Agreed. I think the hotel (or doctor's office, etc) knows that since nothing of any substance happens on that channel, the visitor (and his or her family) won't be "surprised" by any content that might be airing when they turn on the tv. Puppy Channel still seems safer. –  Lisa May 16 '13 at 18:28
@cnst Why do you need to keep watching? I don't watch news at all. And if you need to find out how your stocks are doing from the News you shouldn't have to worry about them... –  Karlson May 16 '13 at 18:32
@Lisa, I'm not sure I get your point. The sex photos and descriptions thereof wouldn't really be in the "not surprised" category as far American audience is likely be concerned. This trial has been going on for over several months now, and they still keep covering it over and over again, every single day. I don't know who could possibly be interested in watching it every morning for months at a time. –  cnst May 16 '13 at 18:39
@Karlson, it's on during the complementary breakfast, so, if you want to enjoy the free breakfast, you're pretty much forced into watching it, unless you're willing to be making a fuss or changing the channel every morning. –  cnst May 16 '13 at 18:40
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