- Ted Turner passed away on May 6, at the age of 87, following a long health battle
- He was the founder of CNN, creating the first 24-hour cable news network, and built Turner Broadcasting through networks including TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies.
- Turner owned the Atlanta Braves and became known for major philanthropic and environmental efforts later in life.
Ted Turner, the media entrepreneur who founded CNN and helped reshape cable television, died on May 6 at the age of 87. His death was confirmed by Turner Enterprises, and reports noted that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2018. Turner was born Robert Edward Turner III on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and later became closely associated with Atlanta, where he built much of his media and sports empire.
Turner was best known for launching CNN in 1980, creating the first 24-hour cable news network at a time when the major broadcast networks still dominated television news. He also built Turner Broadcasting into a major force through TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, and other ventures. His approach helped change how Americans watched news, movies, sports, reruns, and specialty programming on cable television.
The early life of Ted Turner
Before becoming a media figure, Turner took over his father’s billboard business after his father’s death in 1963. He expanded from outdoor advertising into television after buying an Atlanta UHF station in 1970, eventually turning it into WTBS and using satellite distribution to make it one of the first “superstations.” That move helped give cable systems around the country steady programming and gave Turner a national audience before CNN ever launched.
Turner was also active in sports. He owned the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, and Atlanta Thrashers, and the Braves won the 1995 World Series during his ownership. A skilled sailor, he won the 1977 America’s Cup as skipper of Courageous and also won the 1979 Fastnet Race aboard Tenacious. His sports interests often overlapped with his broadcasting business, especially through Braves games on TBS.
Reshaping the media landscape
Outside of business, Turner became one of the country’s most visible philanthropists and landowners. He pledged $1 billion to support United Nations programs, which led to the creation of the United Nations Foundation, and later co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative with former Sen. Sam Nunn. He also supported environmental causes through the Turner Foundation and owned large amounts of land used for conservation and bison ranching.
Turner was married three times, including to actress Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001, and had five children. His public image was often tied to his bold personality and ambitious business moves, but his most concrete impact was visible in the institutions he built: CNN, TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, and a group of philanthropic projects that continued long after his daily role in media faded.
