Ted Turner, the billionaire entrepreneur who founded CNN and helped transform modern television news, died Wednesday at 87, according to his private holding company.
Turner reshaped the media industry through aggressive expansion, unconventional ideas, and a willingness to take risks that many executives at the time considered unrealistic. His biggest breakthrough came with the creation of CNN in 1980, the first 24-hour cable news channel in the U.S.
The network fundamentally changed how Americans consumed news.
Before CNN, television news largely revolved around scheduled evening broadcasts from the major networks. Turner believed audiences would watch news continuously throughout the day if it were constantly available. That gamble succeeded and permanently altered the structure and speed of television journalism.
CNN later became one of the most influential media brands in the world and helped pave the way for networks such as Fox News and MSNBC.
Turner also built a broader media empire through Turner Broadcasting System.
He pioneered the “superstation” model by using satellite technology to distribute programming nationally, dramatically expanding the reach of his Atlanta television station. The company eventually launched major channels including TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies.
Outside television, Turner was heavily involved in sports.
He purchased the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks in the 1970s and aggressively marketed the Braves as “America’s Team.” Under his ownership, the Braves won the 1995 World Series. He also played a major role in professional wrestling after purchasing Jim Crockett Promotions and rebranding it as World Championship Wrestling, which became a major rival to WWE during the “Monday Night Wars.”
Turner was known for his outspoken personality and unpredictable public comments.
Nicknamed “Captain Outrageous,” he frequently made controversial remarks on politics, religion, and world affairs. “I don’t have any idea what I’m going to say. I say what comes to my mind,” Turner once told The New Yorker.
His career included several controversial moments.
One of the biggest came after he acquired MGM’s film library and attempted to “colorize” classic black-and-white films. Critics fiercely opposed the idea, arguing it damaged cinematic history. Turner later abandoned the effort after backlash and financial concerns, per NBC News.
In 1996, Turner Broadcasting merged with Time Warner in a $7.5 billion deal. Turner became vice chairman of the combined company, though he eventually departed following the AOL-Time Warner merger in the early 2000s.
Beyond business, Turner became one of the country’s most prominent philanthropists.
He donated $1 billion to the U.N. in 1998, helped create the United Nations Foundation, and co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative with former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn.
Turner also invested heavily in environmental conservation and became one of the largest private landowners in the U.S. He promoted sustainability projects and expanded bison conservation efforts through his ranches and restaurant chain, Ted’s Montana Grill.
In later years, Turner stepped back from public life after revealing he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2018.
He is survived by his children and leaves behind a media legacy that permanently changed television, cable news, and modern broadcasting.
