Ted Turner, CNN founder who reshaped Atlanta, dies
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Ted Turner speaks at the launch of CNN at his Techwood headquarters on June 1, 1980. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Ted Turner, the CNN founder and philanthropist who turned Atlanta into a media powerhouse and whose swagger earned him the nickname "the Mouth of the South," has died at the age of 87.
Driving the news: Turner Enterprises, which manages the cable-TV pioneer's businesses and holdings, said Turner on surrounded by family. A cause of death was not released, but Turner had been battling Lewy body dementia since 2018.
- CNN reported last year that Turner had been hospitalized due to pneumonia, but he was later moved to a rehabilitation facility where he recovered.
Catch up quick: Robert Edward "Ted" Turner's path to media moguldom began in his mid-20s when he turned around the family's struggling billboard business after his father died by suicide.
- Turner had a talent for spotting undervalued and underappreciated assets early.
- In 1970, he purchased a cheap UHF station, which became TBS, the launchpad for his media empire, CNN reports.
- The "superstation's" satellite broadcast reached viewers across the country, giving Turner and his companies a vast audience.
In 1980, he launched CNN as the first 24-hour national cable news network. That channel went on to redefine how people consume news and information and provided real-time reporting for major global conflicts, Axios' Sara Fischer reports.
Zoom in: Turner himself invested heavily in Atlanta and eventually went on to buy the Braves and the Hawks.
- His Downtown condo was above the Luckie Street location of Ted's Montana Grill, his restaurant chain, and he could walk to Hawks games.
Zoom out: Turner built his empire in Atlanta as civil rights leaders like Xernona Clayton shaped the city's power structure — together helping define modern Atlanta.
- Turner named Hank Aaron to a front-office role with the Braves, one of the earliest such moves for a Black executive in Major League Baseball.
Fun facts: Turner owned more than 2 million acres of land in Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico and South Dakota, making him one of the largest landowners in the U.S., according to his foundation.
- In the late 1980s, he purchased Jim Crockett Promotions, which became the foundation of World Championship Wrestling under Turner Broadcasting.
- The professional wrestling company turned metro Atlanta into a home for many pro wrestling legends.
What's next: The family has planned a private service, a Turner Enterprises spokesperson said. A public memorial will follow at a later date.