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CNN founder and cable news pioneer Ted Turner dead at 87
By Brian Flood
Published May 06, 2026
CNN founder and business mogul Ted Turner has died at age 87, according to CNN.
Turner pioneered the media industry with the creation of the 24-hour cable news network in 1980. Turner had disclosed in 2018 that he suffered from Lewy body dementia, which caused memory problems and exhaustion.
He died peacefully and was surrounded by family, according to CNN.
FTed Turner pioneered the media industry with the creation of the 24-hour cable news network in 1980. (AP)
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Turner made his fortune first through advertising in the state of Georgia before starting his media empire. Turner entered the television business in 1970 when he acquired Atlanta independent UHF station channel 17, according to the Turner Enterprises website. In 1976, he purchased Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves and launched TBS, which launched the "Superstation" concept.
In 1980, Turner forever changed cable news and the way Americans consume information when he launched CNN, the first live, 24-hour news network. But the media pioneer wasn’t finished, and he went on to launch CNN Headline News, CNN International, TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies.
Turner’s company merged with Time Warner Inc. in 1996, and Time Warner merged with AOL in 2001. Turner departed the company in 2003 and stepped down from the board in 2005.
Turner was also one of America’s most influential philanthropists.
This is a developing story, more to come…
https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnn-founder-cable-news-pioneer-ted-turner-dead-87