ALBAWABA- Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur who founded CNN and transformed global television news, has died at the age of 87. He passed away peacefully at his home near Tallahassee, Florida, surrounded by family, according to Turner Enterprises. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.
Born Robert Edward Turner III, Turner was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern media. He built a vast broadcasting empire that included TBS, TNT, and Turner Classic Movies, reshaping American cable television and expanding its global reach.
Beyond media, Turner was also a prominent sports owner, purchasing the Atlanta Braves and leading the team to a World Series championship in 1995. A passionate sailor and competitive sportsman, he famously won the America’s Cup in 1977.
He was also a committed philanthropist and environmentalist, donating large areas of land for conservation and maintaining one of the world’s largest private bison herds. In later years, he publicly acknowledged his battle with Lewy body dementia.
Turner’s most enduring legacy came in 1980 with the launch of CNN, the world’s first 24-hour television news network. At a time when news was limited to scheduled broadcasts, his bold experiment introduced continuous, real-time reporting and permanently reshaped how the world consumes information. CNN rose to global prominence during major events such as the Gulf War, becoming a defining force in international journalism.
Although Turner later lost operational control of CNN following its merger into Time Warner, his model established the foundation for today’s 24-hour news cycle and influenced media organisations worldwide.
