Ted Turner, the media magnate who revolutionized the world of television information by creating the first all-news network broadcast 24 hours a day in 1980: CNN, has died at the age of 87. The announcement was made by the American broadcaster itself, which remembered its founder as one of the absolute protagonists of modern television. The cause of death was not disclosed, but in 2018 Turner said publicly that he suffered from dementia with Lewy bodies, a neurodegenerative disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Who was Ted Turner
An eccentric, provocative and often over the top character, Turner was known in the United States with nicknames such as “Captain Outrageous” and “Terrible Ted”. Born in Cincinnati in 1938, he had built his media empire starting from his father’s advertising company, which specialized in street signs. After his parent’s suicide, when he was just 24 years old, he took over the family business and managed to relaunch it. In 1970 he purchased a small and failing television station in Atlanta, which was destined to become the heart of his television group.
The real turning point came ten years later with the birth of CNN. At the time, many observers thought the idea of a day-and-night news network crazy. Turner, however, realized before the others that the public would want to follow wars, international crises and elections in real time. CNN thus ended up changing the way of reporting current events forever, becoming a model imitated throughout the world.
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Over the years, Turner expanded his group until the merger with Time Warner in 1996. An operation that made him one of the most powerful men in the American television industry, even if in the following years he gradually lost direct control of his companies.
Donald Trump also spoke on the death of the founder of CNN, who on Truth defined Turner as “one of the greatest of all time”, claiming that after the sale of the network he was “devastated” to see his creation transform into something distant from his original vision. Trump then recalled their personal relationship, calling him “a friend” and “one of the greats in the history of broadcasting.”
In addition to television, Turner was a sports entrepreneur, environmentalist and philanthropist. He owned teams like the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks, was passionate about sailing, and in 1997 announced a billion-dollar donation to the United Nations, one of the largest ever made by a private individual.
His private life often came into the spotlight. In 1991 he married Jane Fonda, whom he would later call “the love of his life”, despite divorcing in 2001.