Ted Turner, CNN Founder And Media Mogul, Dead At 87

Ted Turner, a media mogul who reshaped the news industry with the creation of cable network CNN, died Wednesday, TVLine has confirmed. He was 87.

According to a news release from Turner Enterprises, Turner died peacefully surrounded by his family. A cause of death was not announced, though he previously shared in 2018 that he'd been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.

Turner spent several decades as a media pioneer, ultimately building up an empire that encompassed radio stations and television channels, including the cable networks TBS, TNT, TCM, and Cartoon Network. But arguably his biggest contribution to the media landscape was his founding of CNN (Cable News Network), which launched in 1980 as the first TV channel to offer 24-hour news coverage. CNN has operated as a round-the-clock news channel ever since, eventually spinning off a second network now called HLN, as well as multiple international editions. Turner later sold CNN to Time Warner (now Warner Bros. Discovery) in 1996.

"Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement," said Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, 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."

Additionally, Turner was the longtime owner of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, which he bought in 1976. The team remained under his ownership until 2007, when it was sold to Liberty Media. He also had passion for philanthropy and environmentalism; Turner Enterprises notes that Turner owned and preserved more than two million acres of land.