The media world lost a giant this week. Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and the man who essentially invented the 24-hour news cycle, has passed away at the age of 87.
Turner’s death was confirmed and reported by CNN, “Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment,” CNN chairman and CEO Mark Thompson said in a statement. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN.”
Before Turner, there were only three seats at the table: ABC, CBS, and NBC. If they didn’t cover a story, it didn’t exist. Turner didn’t just ask for a seat; he built his own table and invited the whole world to sit down.
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In 1980, Turner launched the Cable News Network (CNN). At the time, critics called it “Chicken Noodle Network,” betting that people wouldn’t watch news all day. They were wrong.
By creating a 24-hour stream of information, Turner did something revolutionary for the Black community. Major moments in Black history, from the Atlanta Child Murders to the beating of Rodney King, received a level of sustained, national attention that the 30-minute evening news slots never allowed.
Before Netflix or Hulu, Turner turned a small Atlanta UHF station (WTBS) into a national powerhouse via satellite. This brought sports and movies into homes that previously only had a few fuzzy local channels.
While he was known for media , Turner was also one of the world’s most significant philanthropists. In 1997, he made headlines by pledging $1 billion to the United Nations, a move that pushed other billionaires like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to step up their own giving.
Remembering Ted Turner:
Turner’s death marks the end of the “Maverick Era” of broadcasting. He proved that a kid from the South could take on the New York media establishment and win.
More importantly, he proved that information shouldn’t be a luxury, it should be available to everyone, every hour of the day.