Ted Turner Dead at 87
Ted Turner has died. He was 87.The media visionary who founded CNN and pioneered the 24-hour news network format died surrounded by family on Wednesday (May 6).In June 1980, Turner launched the first-ever 24-hour, all-news network, ushering in a bold new era for television news broadcasting.“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement. He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world,” Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement Wednesday.READ MORE: He-Man Creator Roger Sweet Dead at 91Born Robert Edward Turner III on November 19, 1938, Turner was only 24 when he inherited his late father's $1 million advertising billboard business in early 1963. He officially launched the Turner Broadcasting System in 1970 via the purchase of an Atlanta UHF TV station.Throughout his decades-long career, Turner built a sprawling media empire including both news and non-news television channels such as Turner Network Television (TNT), Turner Classic Movies (TCM), and Cartoon Network.He also revived interest in professional wrestling through his purchase and rebranding of World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which rivaled the then-WWF (now WWE).Turner was also a passionate philanthropist. He famously launched the Goodwill Games charity, supported the United Nations with donations, co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and established the Turner Endangered Species Fund, among countless other causes.In the ‘90s, Turner created the Captain Planet and the Planeteers cartoon to educate children about conservation, a cause close to the businessman's heart.In 1996, Turner sold his Turner Broadcasting networks to Time Warner for $7.5 billion.In January 2001, Time Warner merged with AOL, creating a new entity called AOL Time Warner. Valued at more than $160 million, it was one of the most expensive mergers in history at the time.The 15 movies of 2026 we can’t wait to see.
