CNN, TBS, And TNT Founder Ted Turner Dead At 87

Producer and CNN founder Ted Turner, the television pioneer who revolutionized news coverage with the introduction of the first 24-hour cable news channel, has died. The media mogul, who also created TBS and TNT, died on May 6. A cause of death was not immediately noted. He was 87 years old at the time of his death, and had revealed in 2018 that he was dealing 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," CNN Worldwide CEO Mark Thompson 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."

Robert Edward Turner III was born on November 19, 1938 to mother Florence and father Robert Edward Turner II, who was a billboard advertising magnate. Turner become president of the Turner Advertising Group at the young age of 24, following his father's suicide in 1963. As the new leader of the company, Turner shifted focus to radio and television stations, formally founding the Turner Broadcasting System (and early home of the American tradition of marathoning "A Christmas Story") in May 1965. 

In 1980, Turner joined forces with Reese Schonfeld to found CNN, a development that would change the way that people think about cable news. Just before the network went live, Turner made a rather bold statement about the project. "We won't be signing off until the world ends," Turner is reported to have said. "We will be on, we will cover it live." 

However, Turner's contributions to the world of television go well beyond those of the cable news spectrum.

In addition to CNN, Turner was also behind television ventures like TBS, television's first so-called "superstation," as well as Turner Network Television (TNT), Turner Classic Movies (TCM), and Cartoon Network. Turner also co-created the cartoon series "Captain Planet" along with Barbara Pyle and Robert Larkin III. The show spawned the "Captain Planet Foundation," which continues to inspire young people to take on the cause of environmental stewardship, which Turner himself was deeply passionate about.

Turner's television ventures led him into frequent participation in the world of sports. Turner was the former owner of the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Hawks, and World Championship Wrestling. Turner was also a noted philanthropist, founding the United Nations Foundation in 1998 with a $1 billion donation. According to its site, the United Nations Foundation seeks to "advance human dignity and protect the planet through our work on transformative issues critical to humanity's shared future."

A maverick in the truest sense of the word, Turner will be remembered not just for his many accomplishments, but also his ethos. "He's the last of the revolutionary and creative minds in our business," CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour told The New Yorker in 2001. She went on to add, "And Ted's business also had a human face and a moral face and a social face. It wasn't just about making money and building an empire."

Ted Turner is survived by his five children.