Life Time Pulling The Plug On Cable News Channels In Its Gyms
ROSEVILLE, Calif. (CBS13) - A nationwide fitness club with a large local location has reportedly banned cable TV news channels from its facilities.
Gym members looking to check out breaking news on CNN or the other three major U.S. cable news programs won't find that programming popping up on any of the gyms' screens because of their charged content.
Kate has been a member of Life Time in Roseville for a couple of years -- working out nearly every day. She, like other members we spoke with, hadn't yet heard about the gym's cable news blackout.
"Yeah, that is kind of surprising...I would think there be a lot of people that would be interested in seeing it," she said.
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In a promotional video, Life Time describes its clubs as having "the best places, people, and programs that change lives positively every day."
The video goes on to show people working on treadmills facing rows of TVs. But based on a new corporate policy, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and CNBC won't be shown. According to a Minneapolis newspaper, the company has blocked cable news at all of its 127 clubs, putting the policy in place at the start of the year.
A company spokesperson told the Pioneer Press the channels have negative and politically charged content.
"Ultimately, it is always our goal to meet the vast majority of members expressed requests and we believe this change is consistent with the desires of the overall membership as well as our desire to uphold a positive, family oriented, healthy way of life environment," said Natalie Bushaw, Lite Time's senior director of public relations and internal communications.
Kate says cable news is how she often keeps up with what's going on in the world. But others members we spoke with say the ban doesn't bother them at all.
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"You can't watch real-world stuff during a workout because it's depressing," said another gym member.
We reached out to the company at the local and national level but received no response.
Life Time, Inc. operates health clubs in 27 states.