to nearly inaudible levels—which at the same time, defeated the purpose of the service by hindering the ability for customers to hear its commercials. Martin Sloane of The Daily Gazette felt that the concept of airing commercials in the checkout line was flawed, as CNN Checkout Channel programming "did not preempt the anxiety of waiting in the checkout line" and that "by the time shoppers glanced at the Checkout Channel, they had already decided what they were going to buy. And they weren't about to lose their place in line to make some last-minute impulse purchases." In February 1993, Turner announced the discontinuation of the CNN Checkout Channel, taking a $16 million write-down. Turner cited difficulties in making the service profitable as justification for the shutdown. A further expansion, which would have added "several thousand" locations to the network at a cost of $35 million, was aborted by the shutdown. Stores that wished to keep the televisions were offered a feed of CNN Headline News as a replacement. References CNN Defunct television networks in the United States Television channels and stations established in 1992 Television channels and stations disestablished in 1993