CNN was the first cable news channel to break the news of the September 11 attacks . Anchor Carol Lin was on the air to deliver the first public report of the event . She broke into a commercial at 8:49 a.m. Eastern Time that morning and said : Sean Murtagh , CNN vice president of finance and administration , was the first network employee on the air . He called into CNN Center from his office at CNN 's New York City bureau and reported that a commercial jet had hit the Trade Center
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
CNN