Media mogul and philanthropist Ted Turner, who founded CNN, died Wednesday (local time) at the age of 87, the network announced.
In 1980, Turner, widely regarded as the pioneer of the 24-hour network that revolutionized television news, launched the Cable News Network as the first dedicated breaking news channel, which soon became a central part of the media landscape.
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The Atlanta, Ohio-born businessman was also known as the “Mouth of the South” for his outspoken nature. He built a media empire that included the first cable superstation and popular movie and cartoon channels, along with professional sports teams such as the Atlanta Braves.
Here’s a look at Ted Turner’s life:
Early life
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Ted Turner founded CNN (Cable News Network) in 1980, which was the first dedicated breaking news channel. He also founded the Turner Broadcasting System, which grew into a media empire.
Ted Turner began his media career at the age of 24 by taking over his father’s billboard company. He later bought a struggling Atlanta television station and then acquired the rights to Atlanta Braves baseball games, eventually broadcasting the station’s signal via satellite to create the first superstation.
Ted Turner is widely regarded as the pioneer of 24-hour network news. In 1980, he launched CNN with a vision to provide 24/7 news, revolutionizing television news.
In addition to CNN, Ted Turner has been involved in owning professional sports teams such as the Atlanta Braves, acquiring the MGM film library, and becoming a prominent philanthropist and environmentalist. He also founded the United Nations Foundation and worked to reintroduce bison to the American West.
Ted Turner made a significant contribution to philanthropy by donating $1 billion to fund the operations of the United Nations. He also supported environmental groups through his Turner Foundation.
Born Robert Robert Edward Turner III in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 19, 1938, he was sent to boarding school at age four, shortly after his sister was born. He had a difficult relationship with his father, who was prone to alcoholism and disciplined his son with a leather strap or a wire hanger.
“It wasn’t dangerous or anything like that,” Turner once recalled. “It just hurt like hell,” CNN quoted him as saying.
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Turner’s faith was shaken somewhat after his family moved to Savannah, Georgia, where his sister Mary Jean contracted a rare form of lupus at the age of 12. “She was sick for five years before she died. And it seemed so unfair because she didn’t do anything wrong,” Turner said. “What did she do wrong? And I couldn’t get any answers. Christianity couldn’t answer that for me. So my faith was kind of shaken.”
He was sent to several rigorous Southern military schools. His father hoped he would be accepted to Harvard, but Turner attended another Ivy League school, Brown University. However, his father was unhappy and cut off his tuition because he did not agree with his major.
Career and achievements
Turner began his media career when he was 24 years old, taking over billboard company Turner Outdoor Advertising after his father’s suicide. He buried his shock and grief at work – but Turner wasn’t content to push other people’s products forever.
He bought up radio stations and then branched out into television in 1970 when he acquired a struggling station in Atlanta known as Channel 17. Turner also tried to increase viewership by airing old sitcoms and classic movies.
However, he was not interested in the news yet. Instead, he decided to invest in sports and acquired the rights to Atlanta Braves baseball games. In 1976, it transmitted channel 17’s signal to satellite, becoming the first cable television superstation to reach cable subscribers nationwide.
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Turned has worn many hats throughout his life. He was internationally known as a yachtsman. He was also a philanthropist who founded the United Nations Foundation and an activist who sought the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons. Turner was also a conservationist who became one of the leading landowners in the United States.
In addition, he played a significant role in the reintroduction of bison to the American West. He also created a Captain Planet cartoon to teach children about the environment.
The media personality wanted to dramatically expand the scope of television news and imagine programs on business, health, sports and other topics. He admitted that he knew “diddley-squat” about reporting, but he recruited the right people to do it, like Reese Schonfeld, the founding president of CNN. This was after he voiced criticism of broadcast television and government news rulings.
Later, in the mid-1980s, Turner acquired MGM’s library of more than 4,000 old films and caused controversy in the film community for the colorization of many black-and-white films, including “Casablanca.”
In 1991, he was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year for “influencing the dynamics of events and turning audiences in 150 countries into instant witnesses to history.”
In 1996, it sold its networks to Time Warner for about $7.5 billion. He stayed on as vice chairman of Time Warner and led the company’s cable television networks.
