Ultimately, it always is 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,” she said.
The decision, which she said was made after “an ongoing discussion for some time,” kicked in at the start of 2018 (although, with the changes being implemented this week, members might still see cable news at some of the clubs for now, Bushaw said).
The deleted channels are CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC.
Big-screen TVs throughout the clubs “now air USA, A&E, Discovery and HGTV, in addition to local stations and ESPN,” she said.
Miller, a club regular, said he was disappointed by the national news blackout — and said he never saw any conflicts at his local club.
“I like catching up on the news while I’m on the elliptical machine for an hour,” he said. “I can’t stand watching those soap operas or talk shows.”
But Melanie Dawson of St. Louis Park — a longtime Life Time member and a wellness advocate — applauds the company’s decision.
In an e-mail to the Pioneer Press, Dawson wrote: “Back in 2012, very shortly after the Sandy Hook school shootings, I took my then 8 year old into the Life Time Cafe. CNN was on, with the sound, and it was broadcasting images of horrified parents and kids, discussing in detail the carnage. I was horrified, and it scared my daughter. I immediately reached out to Life Time corporate to ask them to remove the news from the cafes. I never heard anything back. I am so glad to see this development. I go to Life Time to take care of myself, which includes my mind alongside my body. In this age of 24/7 news, most of it being bad, it is nice to be able to visit Life Time without having to be subjected to it.”
