Ted Turner

Ted Turner
Ted Turner
	; Turner in 1985
Born	Robert Edward Turner III; November 19, 1938; Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	May 6, 2026 (aged 87); Lamont, Florida, U.S.
Education	Brown University (expelled)
Years active	1960–2018
Known for	Turner Broadcasting System
Spouse(s)	Julia Nye 1960-1964; Jane Smith 1965-1988; Jane Fonda 1991-2001;
Children	5
Website	Official website
Signature

Ted Turner was an innovative American television executive.^[1]

In 1980 he launched an all-news channel, on cable television, called CNN.^[1] He thought there was a market for a 24 hour news channel. His launch initially triggered skepticism, but early coups, like being the only channel to cover the attempt to assassinate Ronald Reagan, and the only channel to cover the disaster of the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger cemented CNN in place.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 "Ted Turner obituary: founder of CNN". The Times of London. 2026-05-06. Archived from the original on 2026-05-06. Retrieved 2026-06-04. No sufferer from self-doubt, he said in 1998: 'I’m trying to set the all-time record for achievement by one person in one lifetime. And that puts you in pretty big company: Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Gandhi, Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, Washington, Roosevelt, Churchill.'

[thetimes2026-05-06-1] 1.0 ^1.1 "Ted Turner obituary: founder of CNN". The Times of London. 2026-05-06. Archived from the original on 2026-05-06. Retrieved 2026-06-04. No sufferer from self-doubt, he said in 1998: 'I’m trying to set the all-time record for achievement by one person in one lifetime. And that puts you in pretty big company: Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Gandhi, Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, Washington, Roosevelt, Churchill.'

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