I didn't know about this, thanks. I wonder if the origins of this version of the site go back to 9/11 - I remember specifically that CNN had to switch to a text-only website because they were getting hammered with traffic that day. Maybe they kept this around in case another similar event takes place.
They're much more recent than that, dating to about 2017.[0] CNN's main website in 2001 wouldn't have needed a text-only site because it was already so lightweight.[1]
May the text versions of these sites never wither away!