Ted Turner, CNN founder and media trailblazer, dies at 87

Turner Enterprises said combative CNN founder and 24-hour cable news pioneer Ted Turner died Wednesday aged 87.

Turner died with family, the business said. He had faced declining health in recent years, including Lewy body dementia.

Turner founded CNN in 1980, the first all-news television network, when most Americans watched scheduled shows. The move changed news consumption and established global coverage.

Turner remarked of CNN's early days, “I was going to have to hit hard and move incredibly fast,” in a 2016 interview.

CNN, formerly criticized as the "chicken noodle network," demonstrated its worth during significant global events like the Gulf War in 1991. Reporters stayed in the conflict zone while others evacuated, providing real-time coverage that revolutionized war reporting.

Turner Broadcasting System, which encompassed cable networks, sports franchises, and film studios, grew from his father's billboard company. He sold the company to Time Warner in a major media deal in 1996.

Turner was noted for his generosity and environmental initiatives beyond broadcasting. He managed over 2 million acres and the largest US bison herd, donating $1 billion to UN initiatives and investing extensively in conservation.

His outsized attitude earned him nicknames like “Captain Outrageous” and “The Mouth of the South.” Turner joked, “If only I had a little humility, I'd be perfect.”

Turner owned professional teams in Atlanta and raced yachts, winning the 1977 America's Cup.

Public figures across the country reacted to his death. President Trump dubbed Turner “one of the Greats of All Time” who was “always willing to fight for a good cause.”

Turner focused on philanthropy and land stewardship after leaving the media. CNN's strategy of continuous news coverage is still used today.