Ted Turner, billionaire media mogul and CNN founder, dies at 87

BREAKING NEWSUpdated 3 minutes agoObituariesObituariesTed Turner, billionaire media mogul and CNN founder, dies at 87He conquered the broadcasting industry and reshaped the television landscape with CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network in the U.S.Ted Turner, then the owner of the Atlanta Braves, arrives in Atlanta in April 1977.Steve Helber / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 6, 2026, 10:16 AM EDT / Updated May 6, 2026, 10:23 AM EDTBy Daniel ArkinTed Turner, the high-flying media tycoon, entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded CNN and revolutionized American cable television, died on Wednesday.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.He was 87.Turner’s death was first reported by CNN, citing a Turner Enterprises news release."Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment," CNN chairman and CEO Mark Thompson said in a statement. "He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN."In his prime, Turner was one of the kings of broadcasting, a brash but savvy visionary. He turned the Turner Broadcasting System into a behemoth, establishing the “superstation” concept and launching channels such as TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies.He transformed culture and politics with Cable News Network, the first 24-hour news channel in the country. CNN helped to fundamentally change the format and speed of TV news, laying the path for competitors such as Fox News and MSNBC, now known as MS Now.Turner, with his wily grin and thin mustache, jumped into other ventures with the zeal of an Old West prospector. He once owned the Atlanta Braves, marketing the baseball franchise as “America’s Team.” He created Ted’s Montana Grill, a restaurant chain that serves bison meat.Ted Turner named himself the manager of the Atlanta Braves in 1977, leading to a dispute with Major League Baseball. The Braves lost his only game in...