Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Ted Turner, the audacious cable pioneer, arguably best known for creating CNN and Turner Broadcasting, Inc., has died at the age of 87 after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia.
Early Life
Family & Education
Ted Turner was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 19, 1938, to Robert Edward Turner, Jr. and Florence Turner (née. Rooney). At the age of nine, Turner’s parents moved him and his younger sister Mary Jean to Savannah, GA, so that his father could pursue a career in billboard advertising. At the age of 12, Turner was sent to board at McCallie, an all-boys school in Chattanooga, TN, with whom Turner maintained a lifelong relationship.
After graduating from McCallie, Turner continued his studies at Brown University in Providence, RI and later served in the U.S. Coast Guard. Upon leaving Brown, Turner began his professional career at his father’s billboard company, Turner Advertising Company, eventually taking over as president following his father’s death.
Media Mogul
Turner Broadcasting System & CNN
CNN
Turner Advertising Company proceeded to acquire five radio stations in the Southeast, ultimately selling them in order to purchase television station channel 17 in Atlanta, GA which Turner aptly named “WTCG” (Turner Communications Group, now known as Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.). It was WTCG that acquired the rights to air Atlanta Braves baseball game, a move that quickly expanded its audience and popularity among viewers. Upon transmitting Channel 17 content to local cable providers, WTCG’s subscribers grew profoundly. A groundbreaking decision at the time, Turner put WTCG, which was renamed WTBS, on satellite, thus competing with national heavy hitters like NBC and CBS.
But Turner wasn’t nearly finished putting his mark on the cable industry. In 1980, Turner announced the creation of the Cable News Network, otherwise known as CNN, the world’s first live, 24-hour global news network. By doing so, Turner forever changed news, setting the bar for the way news is both delivered by media and received by viewers across the world.
Over the next two decades, Turner Broadcasting, Inc. built a portfolio of unrivaled cable television news and entertainment brands, including CNN Headline News (HLN), CNN International, Turner Network Television (TNT), Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). In 1996, the company merged with Time Warner, Inc. and in 2001, Time Warner merged with AOL, becoming AOL-Time Warner. The company would later change its name back to Time Warner. Turner ultimately departed the company in 2003 and stepped down from the board in 2005. The former networks and assets of Turner Broadcasting System are now under the ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Hometown Sports Hero
Atlanta Braves & Hawks
For many, Ted Turner’s name is synonymous with Atlanta sports. In 1976, Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves baseball team from his friend Bill Bartholomay, who was responsible for moving the franchise from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Under his leadership, the Braves climbed from ‘worst to first’, winning five pennants and the 1995 World Series. In 1996, in recognition of Turner’s achievements and commitment to the Braves organization, the team’s new stadium in Atlanta was given the name “Turner Field”. The Braves went on to play 21 seasons at Turner Field.
In 1977, Turner purchased the Atlanta Hawks, a team that, along with the Braves, most likely stayed in Atlanta because of Turner. Although Turner’s ownership of both sports teams dissolved upon Time Warner’s acquisition of Turner Broadcasting, Turner’s son Beau and son-in-law Rutherford Seydel went on to become part owners of the Hawks as members of Atlanta Spirit LLC from 2004 to 2015.
Turner also secured a place in sailing history in 1977, as he led the Courageous crew to America’s Cup victory. Turner’s sailing achievements earned him a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and induction into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
Philanthropy
Foundations & Captain Planet
