Ted Turner, the bold American entrepreneur who revolutionised global television news by launching CNN in 1980, has died at the age of 87, the network confirmed on Wednesday.
Turner, a distinctive Southern businessman, philanthropist, and yachting enthusiast, had been suffering from Lewy Body Dementia, a degenerative neurological condition.
CNN transformed the media landscape by introducing 24-hour continuous news coverage, becoming the first such network in the United States. It gained worldwide prominence during its coverage of the 1990–91 Gulf War and later reported major global events including the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Tiananmen Square crackdown in China.
The network also built its reputation for fearless reporting during high-risk situations, notably maintaining coverage from Baghdad during the US bombing campaign in Iraq, which cemented its status as a leading source of breaking news.
Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, paid tribute to Turner, calling him “the giant on whose shoulders we stand,” and acknowledging his lasting global impact.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1938, Robert Edward “Ted” Turner III attended military school in Tennessee and later Brown University, though he was expelled before graduating. He took over his family’s struggling advertising business after his father’s suicide and gradually expanded into broadcasting.
His purchase of a struggling Atlanta television station in 1970 marked his entry into the TV industry. A decade later, it became the foundation of Turner Broadcasting System, through which he launched CNN.
Turner’s media empire later expanded to include channels such as TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, and Cartoon Network, reshaping global entertainment and news broadcasting.
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