Robert Edward “Ted” Turner III was an American businessman, television producer, media proprietor and philanthropist. He founded CNN, the first 24-hour cable news channel. He also founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television, as well as television network TNT.
📡 Media Empire Beginnings
Turner’s media empire began with his father’s billboard business, Turner Outdoor Advertising, which he took over in March 1963 after his father’s suicide. It was worth $1 million. His purchase of an Atlanta UHF station in 1970 began the Turner Broadcasting System.
🌍 Philanthropy and Global Initiatives
As a philanthropist, he gave $1 billion to create the United Nations Foundation, a public charity to broaden U.S. support for the United Nations. In 2001, Turner co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative with U.S. senator Sam Nunn. NTI is a non-partisan organization dedicated to reducing global reliance on nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.
🏆 Sports and Entertainment Ventures
Turner turned the Atlanta Braves baseball team into a nationally popular franchise, including winning the 1995 World Series under his ownership. He launched the charitable Goodwill Games. He helped revive interest in professional wrestling by purchasing Jim Crockett Promotions, which was then rebranded as World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
🌿 Environmental and Land Ownership
Turner devoted his assets to environmental causes. He was the largest private landowner in the United States until John C. Malone surpassed him in 2011. He used much of his land for ranches to re-popularize bison meat and amassed the largest herd in the world. He also created the environmental-themed animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers.
🎓 Early Life and Education
Robert Edward Turner III was born on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Brown University and was vice-president of the Brown Debating Union and captain of the sailing team. He was expelled for having a female student in his dormitory room and later received an honorary B.A. from Brown University in November 1989.
📡 CNN and 24-Hour News
In 1978, Turner contacted media executive Reese Schonfeld about his plans to launch a 24-hour news channel. Schonfeld responded that it could be done with a staff of 300 using an all electronic newsroom and satellites. It would require an initial investment of $15 million–$20 million and several million dollars per month to operate.
🎬 Film Library and Colorization
After a failed attempt to acquire CBS, Turner purchased the film studio MGM/UA Entertainment Co. from Kirk Kerkorian in 1986 for $1.5 billion. Turner kept MGM’s pre-May 1986 and pre-merger film and television library. Having acquired MGM’s library of 2,200 films, he syndicated them to television stations and aired colorized versions of some older films originally filmed in black-and-white.
| Year | Event | Entity | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Took over business | Turner Outdoor Advertising | Worth $1 million after father’s suicide |
| 1970 | Purchased UHF station | WJRJ-TV (Atlanta) | Began Turner Broadcasting System |
| 1976 | Satellite transmission allowed | WTCG (later WTBS) | FCC allowed satellite content to cable providers |
| 1980 | Launched CNN | Cable News Network | First 24-hour cable news channel |
| 1986 | Purchased MGM/UA | MGM/UA Entertainment Co. | $1.5 billion; kept pre-1986 film library |
| 1986 | Founded Goodwill Games | Goodwill Games | Eased tensions between capitalist and communist countries |
| 1995 | World Series win | Atlanta Braves | Won under Turner’s ownership |
| 2001 | Co-founded NTI | Nuclear Threat Initiative | Non-partisan; reduces reliance on weapons of mass destruction |