CNN founder Ted Turner, a pioneer of cable TV news, dies at 87

One thing I'm grateful for what he accomplished: TCM. Saving many old movies from the dustbin of celluloid history was a massive win for nerds like me.

TBS and CNN. 24 hr news was a mistake, but the original intent was noble. TCM. Saved a huge part of american cultural history. Bison herds. Saved a north american species from extinction. Atlanta Braves. Captain Planet.

Dude challenged Rupert Murdoch to a televised fistfight? Damn, wish that had happened.

I'm glad Ted did this: Ted Turner has set aside approximately **1.1 million acres** for conservation and sustainable ranching across New Mexico. This makes him one of the largest private landowners in the state. His holdings are primarily comprised of three massive properties, each managed with a heavy focus on restoring native species—such as the American bison, Mexican gray wolf, and Bolson tortoise—and preserving the desert and mountain ecosystems. # The Major New Mexico Ranches |Ranch|Approximate Acreage|Location / Description| |:-|:-|:-| |**Vermejo Park Ranch**|\~550,000 acres|Located in northern New Mexico (Colfax County). It is a diverse landscape ranging from shortgrass prairies to alpine tundra.| |**Armendaris Ranch**|\~360,000 acres|Located in south-central New Mexico near Truth or Consequences. It is primarily Chihuahuan desert habitat.| |**Ladder Ranch**|\~156,000 acres|Located in southwestern New Mexico. It serves as a critical hub for the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program.|

He's been alive this whole time?

Despite all he’s done, I’m still gonna associate him the most with Captain Planet

Damn. I read a really long biography on Ted Turner in high school to write a paper on him. He is the most “American” person I’ve ever researched. A good mix of work ethic, capitalism and compassion. He invented 24/7 cable news, captain planet, brokered middle east peace deals, was once the largest land owner in the US and was an environmentalist. He owned multiple sports teams and a lot of other stuff. He started out in advertising. Iconic. Edit: the bio was Citizen Turner.

NBA on TNT, WCW Nitro, Conan on TBS, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim... Thank you, Ted.

The guy just dipped his feet into pro wrastlin and dethroned Vince McMahon temporarily. Impressive. Cable news? Meh.

Killer life, which included marrying Jane Fonda. Rest easy, Teddy. Thanks for the weekend cable movies and the Monday Night war. EDIT: Oh! I also forgot he kept threatening to kick the shit out of Rupert Murdoch. Absolute legend.

As a person from Atlanta Metro Area he helped build Atlanta into the southern juggernaut it is today. An absolute legend here in Atlanta will be missed.

the largest landholder in the US. It will be interesting to see what happens to all his holdings. Will they become parks? Donated to a non-profit? Or sold off by his offspring?

For everyone ripping CNN, take note that CNN was *very* different prior to Turner selling his businesses to Time Warner in 1996. CNN essentially created the 24-hour news cycle, as it provided live updates on any major world news at any time. And they would have a camera and a reporter on the scene as quick or quicker than other TV news competitors. And there was a less debate content with talking heads sparring than there is today. Turner was not perfect, but he was a model citizen compared to your average billionaire.

Everyone knows he already died with WCW all those years ago.

They don't call it Turner Classic Movies (TCM) for nothin'. Thanks for the best cable channel ever. o7 (Warner Discovery - don't f*** it up.)

I need to take this opportunity to thank Ted and the Turner foundation for trying to help people in places that most people with money and power wouldn't bother with. I grew up in the reddest corner of the Georgia 14th. When I was a kid the county had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation. The problem was so bad that the school system had to open a daycare facility for the highschool just to keep the graduation rate up. The daycare was such a unique program that people from outside the county started to notice. The Turner Foundation tried to help. Being very poor and very rural, there wasn't much to do after school but go to church or screw. SO they offered to spend five million dollars, in 90s money, to buy a building next to the high-school and turn it into a teen resource center. The county turned the money down. It was Ted Turner's money and he was married to Jane Fonda and Jane Fonda had gone to Saigon during the war. Looking back thirty years, it was the first indication I remember of how bad the culture wars would get and how much self inflicted damage they would impose on parts of rural America. Eventually the county closed the daycare. Lack of funds and the growing idea that giving a helping hand to teen mothers was somehow promoting premarital sex finally ended it. So, while I have no love for billionaires, what I always think about when I hear Ted Turner's name is "he tried to help". Thank you Ted.

Anyone remember Will Forte's recurring impression of Ted Turner on Conan? He'd come on set riding a bison.

He funded the movie Gettysburg so for that alone, he's ok in my book. Great movie

Finally my username is relevant! I mean.. grrr ratings

Probably one of the few wealthy people that did try to do *some* good with their money. 

People forget, but once upon a long time Ted used to grab the same headlines all of our whiny needy billionaires desperately crave for. But in contrast Ted got all the old ass media, created specific cable networks to just show that old ass media, colorized a bunch of movies that didn't need colorizing, married the stone cold fox of his day, bought land like a maniac and pioneered the annoyance that are modern news channels. It all feels so tame in comparison. Was he a weirdo that worried about the future of humankind? Sure, but he kept it classy and created Captain Planet; not some dumb shit like Bezos rockets, or help round up minorities Thiel style or whatever dumb shit DOGE did. We didn't know we had it so good. May you rest in the big TNT Saturday Nitro in the sky, Ted.

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When I was a kid, shows would mock him a lot. But dude did stuff. TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, TCM and so on. Then he did actual good stuff for the country and the planet. If half the billionaires today were like him, imagine the world we could have. He'll have the kind of legacy Trump and Bezos, etc wish they could buy.

As an American capitalist he genuinely changed the landscape. Coincidentally, I was recently thinking about all that land he owns and wondered what would happen to that after he passes. It will probably get chopped up and sold off, but it's probably at risk of development now.

A pretty good dude. His father committed suicide when he was young. He transformed a failing billboard business into CNN… I have mixed feelings on 24 hour news. Major conservationist. Pretty much brought back the buffalo. Dude did a lot with his time here. As billionaires go. He was one of the better ones.

WCW and Cartoon Network were a big part of my childhood. RIP.

1980s-90s TNT, TBS, CNN, Atlanta Braves baseball. Man those were the days.

His company had insane benefits for the employees. 6% match automatically on the 401k. Not unheard of for people to hit PTO days in the 40s, 40+ days of PTO per year. As far as capitalists go, this guy understood the assignment. He created a community where the employees could also live dignified lives. Shame what happened to that company after shareholders took over

I'll always be grateful for the Monday Night Wars

I worked for his company for 20 years. The first half of my tenure Ted Turner was at the helm and then he sold half of his company to Time Warner. He sold it because he wanted the cash influx to grow bigger and bigger he did! The problem was that the powers at be didn’t want him calling all the shots anymore and they basically forced him out. AOL (anybody remember America Online?) then came along and swallowed up Time Warner but they made such a mess that they decided later to rename it Warner again. I remember when AOL first took over they wanted Microsoft Outlook replaced with their own AOL email application. That went over like a led balloon and after the CEO declared, “Why can’t I read my email?!”, AOL sizzled out and Microsoft reigned once again. I liked working for Ted; I believe he really cared about the people who worked for him. Before Time Warner, he would routinely hold staff meetings with everyone and open the floor for anyone who had anything to say. He also loved baseball and that’s why he bought the Atlanta Braves. He gave all his employees free tickets to the games every season. His decision to purchase the rights to the MGM and Hanna Barbera media library was genius. He would always say that “content is king”. Rest in peace Mr Turner.

There was a time after CNN was created that if you went into any place virtually that had news or any airport the channel would be on CNN. CNN originally set the standard for cable news and was widely respected despite the criticism from conservatives. I used to watch CNN fairly regularly and was a loyal watcher but that stopped a decade ago at least. I wonder in his declining years what Ted Turner thought about what CNN has become, a former shell of itself.

As a native of Atlanta, Ted Turner probably affected my life more than anyone else outside of my family growing up. Braves, Thrashers, CNN, I even worked for Turner a bit. RIP crazy man.

The anti-Murdoch. God bless him.

Damn, thanks for allowing the cartoons I grew up on to exist, if nothing else.

And incredibly tasteless and inappropriate post from Trump in 3… 2…

CNN was far different when Ted was running it. Back then it was actual news not just people stating their opinion. Ted also valued nature and he put his money were his mouth was in that respect. He was good for the world. Not many people like that today, well maybe no one. Musk, Bezos, Zurkerburg should suit suite but of couse they never will. Sad day for the world, Turner made an actual impact on making the wold a better place.

Pay attention, other billionaires! You too are going to die no matter what. Mar-a-Lago face and a $500 million yacht aren’t going to save you. Live accordingly, assholes.

Worked for him ten years. A driven and complicated man. RIP.

Being from Atlanta, you couldn't throw a rock without hitting something named or touched by Ted Turner. RIP

i'll always appreciate ted turner bc TBS showed reruns of Gilligans Island, The Monkees, The Partridge Family, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, Get Smart, etc and my favorite part of summer vacation as a kid in the 90s was being able to watch classic tv all day. Also what was the deal with shows starting at the :05's on TBS instead of the :00's????

We have the incredible Gettysburg movie thanks to him. That’s a powerful legacy in itself. (Shh. We don’t talk about Gods and Generals.)

Time to watch every episode of Captain Planet 🌎