Inside CNN in Atlanta
Inside CNN is a tour of the CNN broadcasting tower, located at 100 CNN Center in Atlanta. First you take an 8-story escalator up to the an atrium area where you will hear facts about CNN. There, you will also have the opportunity to take a photo at a mock CNN newsroom desk. One person on the tour may read a teleprompter, simulating delivering a CNN broadcast. Although you may not take photos on the tour, you can buy photos of you at the mock CNN anchor desk. The photos are $20 a package, sold in the gift shop after the tour.
After leaving the anchors’ desk, you’ll continue with the Inside CNN tour. You will watch at least one film about CNN and the tour guide will talk about the history of CNN, the role CNN played in the Gulf War, CNN’s international impact, and see an 
example, on a monitor and through audio, of how live broadcasts are made to be visually appealing to viewers through the use of graphics.
The 55-minute tour takes you to a viewing window, the CNN Overlook, where you can look down and watch Atlanta’s CNN newsroom in action. You will learn how news flows into the newsroom and is eventually aired on television.
Throughout the tour of the CNN building, you will learn interesting facts, like that CNN has over 2 billion viewers and that the CNN building was purchased by Ted Turner in 1985. You probably didn’t know that the three cameras used for the Atlanta broadcast cost $300,000 each. These huge cameras are operated using a joystick.
It was cool to find out how some stations create weather reports. CNN meteorologists can see the screen (with the weather map information) behind them. Meteorologists at other stations may see only a green screen (not the map behind them). Watching the writers and editors on the floor of the newsroom was also interesting. I enjoyed hearing the directions for creating a live broadcast in the replica of the control room.
You ride up the escalator to begin the tour, but you walk down the eight flights of stairs during the tour. The walk down is fairly comfortable, since you go down a couple of flights at a time while the tour guide is presenting information on different floors in the center. Definitely call 404-827-2300at least 72 hours in advance if you or anyone in your party is disabled or is concerned about the stairs.
If you watch CNN or are curious about television camera tricks, you will enjoy the Inside CNN tour. The tour costs $12 for adults, $9 for children. You can buy tickets here. Have any of you been on Inside CNN tours in other cities? I understand that there was one in New York. What was your tour like?
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