Ted Turner, the media entrepreneur who transformed television journalism by creating the first 24-hour news channel, has died at the age of 87, CNN has announced.
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Turner launched Cable News Network (CNN) in 1980, introducing a continuous news format that reshaped how global audiences received information. The channel, once dismissed by critics, became a central force in international broadcasting and inspired a generation of competing networks.
US President Donald Trump described Turner as “one of the greats of broadcast history” and called him a friend. Current CNN chairman and chief executive Mark Thompson said Turner was “the giant on whose shoulders we stand” and credited him with shaping the organisation and its impact on the world.
In a statement, Thompson said Turner was an engaged and determined leader who trusted his instincts and was willing to take risks. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN,” he added.
A bold vision for round-the-clock news
When CNN launched, the idea of a dedicated rolling news channel was widely viewed as unrealistic. Early critics mocked the network as the “Chicken Noodle Network,” doubting that viewers would watch news continuously.
However, CNN soon proved its value by delivering live, ongoing coverage of major events. Among its early tests were the 1981 assassination attempt on US President Ronald Reagan and the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster.
The network’s reputation was firmly established during the 1990–1991 Gulf War, when CNN provided extensive live coverage from Iraq. The reporting was watched around the world and demonstrated the power of round-the-clock television news.
Former US President George Bush once remarked that he learned more from CNN than from the CIA, highlighting the network’s growing influence.
CNN’s success also encouraged the creation of rival channels, including Fox News, launched in 1996 by media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Building a media empire
Turner’s business career began after he took control of his family’s billboard company following his father’s death. He later purchased a radio station in Atlanta, which became the foundation of the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS).
Within a decade, Turner had built one of the largest media enterprises in the United States. His television holdings eventually included channels such as TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network.
Turner also made a brief but costly acquisition of the MGM film studio in 1985 for $1.5bn. In the 1990s he expanded further by acquiring film and television companies including Castle Rock Entertainment and New Line Cinema before his business merged with Time Warner.
Known for his outspoken personality, Turner earned nicknames such as “the Mouth of the South” and “Captain Outrageous”. For several years he even lived inside CNN’s headquarters, reportedly walking through the newsroom in a bathrobe while debating the day’s stories.
Sportsman and philanthropist
Beyond broadcasting, Turner had wide-ranging interests. A skilled yachtsman, he won the America’s Cup in 1977. He also owned several professional sports teams, including the Atlanta Braves baseball team, the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and the Atlanta Thrashers ice hockey team.
Turner later became a prominent philanthropist. He donated $1bn to the United Nations and contributed millions to environmental initiatives while investing in clean energy projects.
He was married to actress Jane Fonda from 1991 until their divorce in 2001.
In 2018, Turner revealed he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a degenerative neurological condition.
Tributes from colleagues
Journalists and former colleagues paid tribute to Turner’s influence on the industry.
Veteran CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour wrote on social media that Turner had “created an unstoppable media revolution”.
Broadcaster Piers Morgan, who hosted a programme on CNN from 2011 to 2014, described him as an “extraordinarily bold” figure whose achievements ranged from building CNN to winning major sporting titles and supporting charitable causes.
Media analysts said Turner’s legacy extends well beyond the network he founded. By establishing the model of continuous television news, he permanently altered the global media landscape.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 7 May 2026
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