CNN Founder Ted Turner passes away at 87
Ted Turner passed away on 6 May surrounded by family, according to a statement from Turner Enterprises
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Published: Jun 16, 2026 11:35 AM | 1 min read
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- Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and influential media entrepreneur, passed away at the age of 87 on May 6, surrounded by family.
- He launched CNN in 1980, the first 24-hour cable news channel, and also founded WTBS and Turner Network Television (TNT), significantly impacting the cable television industry.
- Turner's innovative approaches and acquisitions helped reshape the television landscape during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
- CNN Worldwide's Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson acknowledged Turner's legacy, stating he was a foundational figure for the network and the media industry.
Ted Turner, the media businessman who founded CNN, has died aged 87. Turner died on 6 May surrounded by his family, according to a statement from Turner Enterprises.
He was widely recognised for changing the television news industry with the launch of CNN in 1980, the world’s first 24-hour cable news channel. He also founded WTBS, which helped pioneer the “superstation” model in cable television, and later launched Turner Network Television (TNT).
Over the years, Turner expanded his media interests through a number of acquisitions and ventures. Turner is regarded as one of the entrepreneurs who helped reshape the cable television industry, which saw rapid growth in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a wave of new cable networks followed the model he helped establish.
Turner was also known for his outspoken personality, which earned him the nicknames “The Mouth of the South” and “Captain Outrageous”.
Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement, “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.”
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