CNN Founder Ted Turner Dies at 87
Ted Turner, the iconic media entrepreneur who founded CNN and revolutionized 24-hour cable news in 1980, died Wednesday at age 87 after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia. His groundbreaking network fundamentally changed how the world consumed news.
Death of Media Pioneer
Ted Turner, the media maverick and philanthropist who founded CNN, a pioneering 24-hour network that revolutionized television news, died peacefully Wednesday, surrounded by his family.
Legacy and Impact
Turner's family said in a statement that he died after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia. On June 1, 1980, Turner launched CNN, the first 24-hour, all-news cable network.
Cable News Network upended established broadcasting with its dedication to around-the-clock breaking news and shot to global recognition with its coverage of the Gulf War in 1990-91. The 24-hour network was the first in the United States to run non-stop news and quickly built a worldwide footprint.
Career and Achievements
The Ohio-born Atlanta businessman, nicknamed "The Mouth of the South" for his outspoken nature, built a media empire that encompassed cable's first superstation and popular channels for movies and cartoons, plus professional sports teams like the Atlanta Braves. Turner was also an internationally known yachtsman; a philanthropist who founded the United Nations Foundation; an activist who sought the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons; and a conservationist who became one of the foremost landowners in the United States.