David GilmourMay 6th, 2026, 10:29 am

Ted Turner, the media titan who transformed television journalism by launching CNN, the world’s first 24-hour news network, died on Wednesday at the age of 87.

Turner launched CNN in June 1980, betting that audiences would watch rolling global coverage around the clock. The gamble reshaped modern media and established the network as a dominant force in international news in coverage of historic events, including the Gulf War and the fall of the Soviet Union.

Turner built a sprawling media empire from Atlanta that included cable superstation TBS, MGM film holdings, and Cartoon Network. He also owned the Atlanta Braves baseball team.

In a statement, CNN Worldwide chairman and chief executive Mark Thompson said: “Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement. 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.”

Turner disclosed in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disorder, shortly before his 80th birthday. Last year, he was briefly hospitalized with pneumonia and later recovered.

He is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

This is a developing story.

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