CNN founder Ted Turner passes away at 87

Ted Turner, the media entrepreneur who founded CNN and launched the world’s first 24-hour cable news network, died May 6 at his home near Tallahassee, Florida, at age 87. 

In a statement confirming his death, Turner Enterprises, the company overseeing his business interests and philanthropy, said he passed away peacefully and surrounded by family. No cause was given, but Turner had publicly battled Lewy body dementia — a progressive brain disorder — for years. He is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. 

According to CNN, Turner, a Cincinnati-born businessman who built his career in Atlanta, joined his family’s advertising business before taking it over after his father’s death. He entered the media world in the 1970s as an account executive at Turner Advertising Co. and launched CNN in June 1980. The network provided unprecedented live, around-the-clock reporting and gained global prominence through its broad coverage of events.

Turner later added networks including TNT, Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, and Headline News, building a cable empire that reshaped how millions consumed information and entertainment, CNN reported. He sold CNN to Time Warner in 1996 and was worth an estimated $2.8 billion, according to AP News.

Known for his outspoken nature, Turner was nicknamed “The Mouth of the South,” according to CNN, and often espoused progressive political opinions on issues such as global warming and healthcare. He endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

Turner was also noted by CNN as a philanthropist and activist who dedicated part of his wealth to the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons. According to Turner Enterprises, he donated over a billion dollars to save imperiled and endangered species, preserved more than two million acres of land, and played a crucial role in reintroducing bison to the American West.

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

President Donald Trump reacted to Turner’s death in a Truth Social post, calling him “one of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine.” He also bemoaned CNN’s new ownership, which he said has “destroyed” Turner’s company.

“It became woke, and everything that he is not all about,” Trump said. “Maybe the new buyers, wonderful people, will be able to bring it back to its former credibility and glory. Regardless, however, one of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine. Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause!”