Ted Turner, the pioneering media executive who transformed television news by founding the world’s first 24-hour cable news channel, has died at the age of 87.
Turner died Wednesday at his home near Tallahassee, according to a family spokesperson.
He reshaped global broadcasting in 1980 with the launch of CNN, introducing round-the-clock television news and redefining how audiences consumed breaking events.
Known for his outspoken style and ambitious business approach, Turner also founded or launched several major cable television networks, including TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies.
Turner became one of the most influential figures in modern media and was widely recognised for his contributions to journalism, entertainment and philanthropy.
In 2018, he publicly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disorder with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.
