CNN Founder Ted Turner Dies

(Patria) - Ted Turner, the media visionary and philanthropist who founded CNN, the first 24-hour news network that fundamentally changed television news, died today at the age of 87.

Turner built a media empire that included the first cable superstation, popular movie and cartoon channels, and professional sports teams like the Atlanta Braves, CNN reports.

He was also an internationally renowned sailor, a philanthropist who founded the UN Foundation, an activist who advocated for the global elimination of nuclear weapons, and a conservationist who became one of the largest landowners in the US.

He played a key role in the return of bison to the American West. He also created the cartoon series "Captain Planet" to educate children about the environment.

However, he was most celebrated for his bold vision of broadcasting news from around the world in real-time, at any time of day or night, after that idea finally came to life.

Time magazine named him Person of the Year in 1991 for "his impact on the dynamics of events and turning viewers in 150 countries into immediate witnesses of history."

Turner eventually sold his network to Time Warner and later retired from business, but continued to express pride in CNN, calling it the "greatest achievement" of his life.

- Ted was an incredibly engaged and dedicated leader, fearless and always ready to follow his intuition and trust his own judgment. He is and always will be the driving force of CNN.

Ted is a giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to honor him and recognize his impact on our lives and the world," said CNN Worldwide President and CEO Mark Thompson.

Just over a month before his 80th birthday in 2018, Turner revealed that he had been diagnosed with dementia.

In early 2025, he was hospitalized for a mild form of pneumonia, after which he was recovering in a rehabilitation facility.

Turner is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.