Ted Turner Dies: CNN Founder Was 87

Media maverick Ted Turner has died at the age of 87. Turner was the founder of CNN, the first 24-hour cable news channel, and launched TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, and Cartoon Network through his media empire, Turner Broadcasting System.

Turner died on Wednesday, May 6, his family announced through a statement from Turner Enterprises. A cause of death was not shared, but Turner revealed in 2018 that he was living with Lewy body dementia.

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless, and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement, per CNN. “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.”

Born Robert Edward Turner III on November 19, 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Turner was the son of Florence and Robert “Ed” Turner, Jr. At age 9, Ted relocated with his family to Savannah, Georgia, where his father, a strict disciplinarian and heavy drinker, began a billboard business after completing his service in the Navy during World War II. Turner’s sister, Mary Jean, died at age 17 after a battle with lupus. His father committed suicide in 1963, leaving the 24-year-old Turner in charge of the debt-ridden family advertising business. He turned the company’s finances around and turned it into a multi-million dollar enterprise within a few years.

In 1970, Turner bought WJRJ, a failing channel in Atlanta. He renamed it WTCG and merged it with a handful of local radio stations that he acquired. From there, he called his new media company Turner Communications Group. Changes in FFC broadcasting regulations and the launching of the first communications satellites allowed Turner to broadcast his stations (which ran a lot of TV reruns and old movies) nationwide. He bought the MLB’s Atlanta Braves and the NBA’s Hawks in 1976 and started broadcasting the games live to great success. He named his cable channel WTBS (Turner Broadcasting System) and dubbed TBS the world’s first “superstation.” Turner’s bravado earned him in the nickname the “Mouth from the South” from pundits. In less than 10 years, TBS was the most-viewed cable channel in 80 percent of cable-equipped homes.

An avid sailor, Turner won America’s Cup in 1977 and Britain’s Fastnet race in 1979. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN) in 1980 and its companion station, Headline News, in 1982. The network’s up-to-the-minute coverage of events such as the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster and the first U.S. invasion of Iraq earned the network respect in its early years.

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Turner bought MGM/United Artists in 1985 and eventually sold UA back to its original owner. The historic MGM/UA studio lot was sold to Lorimar/Telepictures. This purchase put Turner in debt, forcing him to cede minority ownership, but he maintained ownership of a classic film catalogue that helped him launch TNT in 1988. Turner was named Time’s Man of the Year in 1991. Cartoon Network was launched in 1992, and TCM was launched in 1994.

Turner sold his media empire to Time Warner in 1995. Several years and many media acquisitions later, Turner’s remaining media empire is now part of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Turner eventually got deeply involved in philanthropic efforts. He founded the United Nations Foundation, advocated for the elimination of nuclear weapons, and was a conservationist who was one of the foremost landowners in the United States. He played a major role in the reintroduction of bison to the American west.

Turner was married three times. His first marriage was to Julia Gale Nye (1960-1964). The second was to Jane Shirley Smith (1965-1988). The third was to actor and activist Jane Fonda (1991-2001). Turner had five children from his first two marriages: Beau, Rhett, Jennie, Laura, and Teddy. Fonda and Turner remained amicable after their divorce.