CNN Founder And Cable News Pioneer Ted Turner Dies At 87

Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and one of the most influential figures in modern media, has died at 87.

The business mogul and broadcasting pioneer reshaped television news, built a media empire, and left behind a legacy that reached far beyond cable news.

Turner Dies at 87 After Long Illness

Turner died peacefully surrounded by family, according to CNN.

He had revealed in 2018 that he was living with Lewy body dementia.

The degenerative disease caused memory problems and exhaustion.

His death closes the life of a man who helped change how the world consumes news.

He remained one of the most recognizable names in American media history.

Turner Revolutionized News with CNN

Turner changed television forever in 1980 when he launched CNN.

The network became the first live 24-hour cable news channel.

That idea was seen as risky at the time.

Instead, it transformed how Americans and the rest of the world followed breaking events.

CNN became one of the most important media creations of the modern era.

He Built a Far-Reaching Media Empire
Turner did not stop with CNN.

He went on to launch CNN Headline News, CNN International, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies.

His business moves helped shape cable television across news, sports, movies, and entertainment.

He had first entered the television business in 1970 when he acquired Atlanta independent UHF station channel 17.

From there, he built one of the most recognizable media empires in the country.

Trump Pays Tribute to Turner
President Trump reacted to Turner’s death in a post on Truth Social.

“Ted Turner, one of the Greats of All Time, just died,” President Trump wrote.

He said Turner founded CNN and was “personally devastated” after selling it and watching later ownership change the network.

“It became woke, and everything that he is not all about,” President Trump wrote.

He also called Turner “one of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine.”

Time Warner Merger Changed His Role

Turner’s company merged with Time Warner in 1996.

Time Warner later merged with AOL in 2001.

Turner left the company in 2003.

He stepped down from the board in 2005.

Even after leaving, the brands he created continued shaping the media industry.

CNN and Warner Leaders Praise His Legacy
CNN CEO Mark Thompson said Turner was the enduring spirit of the network.

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment,” Thompson said.

“He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN,” he added.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav also praised Turner as a visionary who transformed media.

He said Turner’s influence still runs through CNN, TCM, Turner Sports, and the broader company.

Honors Poured In Over Decades
Turner received many major honors throughout his life.

He was named Broadcasting and Cable’s Man of the Century in 1999.

He was also recognized as one of TIME 100’s Most Influential People in 2009.

He later received the Overseas Press Club Lifetime Achievement Award and a Sports Emmy lifetime honor.

Those awards reflected the breadth of his influence in news, sports, and philanthropy.

Family and Personal Life

Turner is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

He was married three times.

One of his best-known marriages was to actress Jane Fonda.

The two remained close even after their divorce in 2001.

His death marks the loss of a towering figure whose work changed broadcasting, sports, and public life.