Ted Turner, the trailblazing American media entrepreneur who revolutionised global television news with the launch of CNN in 1980, has died at the age of 87, the network announced on Wednesday.
Gatekeepers News reports that Turner, known for his larger-than-life personality, passion for yachting, and philanthropy, had been battling Lewy body dementia.
CNN reshaped the media landscape by introducing 24-hour rolling news, quickly gaining international prominence—particularly during the Gulf War. It became the first U.S. network to offer continuous news coverage, establishing a global presence in the process.
Its correspondents delivered live reports from pivotal world events, including the collapse of the Soviet Union collapse and the Chinese government’s crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests. The network’s decision to maintain reporters in Baghdad during U.S. airstrikes further cemented its reputation for frontline journalism.
Paying tribute, Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said: “Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognise him and his impact on our lives and the world.
“He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN.”
Born in Cincinnati in November 1938, Robert Edward Turner III attended a military boarding school in Tennessee before enrolling at Brown University, where he was later expelled.
He assumed control of his family’s struggling advertising business following his father’s death and began building a media empire. After acquiring several radio stations, Turner made his first major move into television by purchasing a failing Atlanta station in 1970.
A decade later, that venture evolved into the Turner Broadcasting System, whose success enabled the launch of CNN.
The network’s groundbreaking model inspired a new era of round-the-clock news, paving the way for competitors such as Fox News—founded by Turner’s long-time rival Rupert Murdoch—as well as MSNBC and numerous global outlets.
Turner’s media holdings expanded well beyond CNN, encompassing channels such as TBS and TNT for entertainment and sports, as well as Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network.
