American businessman and CNN founder Ted Turner has died at the age of 87. This was reported by TV channelreferring to a release from Mr. Turner’s company, Turner Enterprises.
The statement called Mr. Turner the creator of “a pioneering 24-hour network that revolutionized television news.” The cause of death was not reported, but it was mentioned that Mr Turner had suffered from dementia since 2018 and was hospitalized with pneumonia last year.
Ted Turner was born in 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father owned an advertising company, which Mr. Turner inherited. In the 1960s and 70s, he developed other television projects.
In 1980, Mr. Turner sold his television business to WTBS and created the Cable News Network (CNN) in Atlanta, the first 24-hour news channel and the first national cable network. In subsequent years, a network of specialized channels was created around CNN, such as CNN Airport, and regional versions in different languages.
In 1991, Time magazine named Mr. Turner “Person of the Year” for “influencing the dynamics of events and turning audiences in 150 countries into instant witnesses to history.”
In 1996, Turner Broadcasting System, which included CNN, was purchased by Time Warner (later WarnerMedia). Ted Turner himself became vice president of the merged company.
In 2003, Mr. Turner finally retired from business and devoted all his time to charity and social projects. His areas of special interest were environmental protection and the elimination of nuclear weapons. Mr. Turner was married three times, including to actress Jane Fonda, and has five children.
