Ted Turner, the media maverick who founded CNN and redefined how the world consumes news, died at 87, Turner Enterprises announced Wednesday. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family, according to CNN.
Turner debuted CNN on June 1, 1980, as the first round the clock news channel. At the time, critics dismissed the idea as unrealistic. The network proved its value during the 1991 Gulf War, delivering live coverage when no other outlet could. The feat earned Turner Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” recognition for making global events immediate for millions of viewers.
Known as “The Mouth of the South,” Turner built his media empire from a small Atlanta station he acquired in 1970. He transformed it into WTBS, cable’s first superstation, by broadcasting its signal across the U.S. via satellite in 1976. CNN became the flagship of a group that later included TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies. He also owned the Atlanta Braves and Hawks, using their games to expand his audience. In 1996, he sold Turner Broadcasting to Time Warner for $7.5 billion but consistently called CNN his proudest accomplishment.
Outside broadcasting, Turner was a competitive sailor and conservationist who championed bison restoration in the American West. He established the United Nations Foundation and created the Captain Planet cartoon to promote environmental education. He also advocated for worldwide nuclear disarmament.
CNN executives paid tribute following his death. Chairman Mark Thompson described Turner as “the giant on whose shoulders we stand.” Anchor Wolf Blitzer credited him with “revolutionizing the television business,” while correspondent Christiane Amanpour said he inspired journalists to pursue “a better world.”
Turner revealed in 2018 that he had Lewy body dementia. He was briefly hospitalized for pneumonia earlier this year but recovered, CNN reported.
He is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.