Ted Turner, the businessman behind the creation of CNN and a major force in modern broadcasting, has passed away at 87, according to an announcement from Turner Enterprises on Wednesday.
Turner is credited with reshaping global news delivery after establishing CNN in 1980, introducing round-the-clock reporting that permanently changed how audiences follow world events. The channel eventually developed into a leading global media platform.
“Turner’s vision changed journalism forever by making news immediate, global, and constant,” the statement from Turner Enterprises said.
Over the years, Turner became known not only for news media but also for building a wide-ranging entertainment and sports empire. His business interests included networks like Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies, and he once owned the Atlanta Braves, boosting the team’s visibility in American sports.
“He was a once-in-a-generation media pioneer whose influence touched every corner of modern broadcasting,” a former CNN executive said.
Beyond broadcasting, Turner was active in philanthropy and environmental causes. He established the United Nations Foundation after committing $1 billion to support global UN programmes and became one of the largest private landholders in the United States.
He also supported environmental awareness efforts, including wildlife restoration initiatives and the creation of the animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers.
In 1991, Time magazine honoured him as Man of the Year for his global influence on communication and media.
“He turned viewers into instant witnesses to history,” the magazine wrote at the time.
After selling a large portion of his media holdings to Time Warner, Turner reduced his direct involvement in business but remained closely linked to CNN, often referring to it as his most significant achievement.
He disclosed in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a condition that affected his health in his later years.
“Ted was fearless in his ideas and relentless in pursuing them,” a longtime associate said.
His death brings to a close the life of a media innovator whose work permanently changed global television journalism and real-time news reporting.