CNN founder and 'pioneer of cable TV' Ted Turner dies aged 87

Ted Turner, the outspoken founder of CNN, has died aged 87.

Turner, who launched the first 24-hour all-news TV network in 1980, died on Wednesday, according to Turner Enterprises website.

No cause of death was given, but his website said he died "after a long battle with Lewy body dementia".

In September 2018, Turner revealed he had the degenerative nerve disease that causes a mental decline with physical symptoms similar to Parkinson's.

His website described him as "the audacious cable pioneer, arguably best known for creating CNN and Turner Broadcasting".

The billionaire, who was known for being brash and outspoken, owned professional sports teams in Atlanta and was an avid yacht racer, defending the America's Cup in yachting in 1977.

He was a philanthropist, donating $1bn to United Nations charities, which he called "the best investment I've ever made".

The Turner Foundation also gave millions to environmental groups, while he promoted and invested in clean energy.

With more than 1.9 million acres (770,000 hectares) in six states, Turner became one of the biggest private landowners in the US.

He also owned a herd of some 50,000 bison, which he used to supply a restaurant chain he founded in 2002 called Ted's Montana Grill, and ranches in Argentina's Patagonia.

Turner earned nicknames such as the "Mouth of the South," "Captain Outrageous," and "Terrible Ted". He once bragged: "If I only had a little humility, I'd be perfect."

Trump pays tribute to 'one of the greats'

Figures like US President Donald Trump paid tribute to the man who revolutionised television news.

Mr Trump called Turner "one of the Greats of Broadcast History, and a friend of mine".

"Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause!" Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide said in a statement: "He was always and will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand."

Former CNN head Walter Isaacson called Turner "the most fearless journalist I've ever seen" in a speech at the Sir Harry Evans Investigative Journalism Summit in London.

Revolutionising news television

Forbes estimates Turner's fortune at $2.8 billion, and the businessman was known for his driven, risk-taking decisions.

By the time he sold his Turner Broadcasting System to Time Warner Inc. in a 1996 media megadeal for $7.3bn in stock, Turner had turned his late father's billboard company into a global conglomerate that included seven major TV networks, three professional sports teams and a pair of hit movie studios, including Warner Bros.

He revolutionised TV networks by creating the first 24-hour, all-news service with CNN, bringing the latest news to television screens at any time convenient for viewers, born out of his own frustration with the nightly newscasts having already gone off the air by the time he stopped working after 8pm.

In the same year that Turner sold his company, rival network Fox News Channel was born and new media mogul Rupert Murdoch emerged.

Turner and Murdoch had a long-running feud that began in 1983 when a Murdoch-sponsored yacht collided with Turner's boat in an Australian race, which led Turner to challenge Murdoch to a fist fight.

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Turner was promised a continued role in CNN after his company's sale to Time Warner, but was gradually pushed out, much to his regret. He later said: "I made a mistake. The mistake I made was losing control of the company."

He was married three times, including to actress Jane Fonda for 10 years, and had five children.

The CNN founder battled depression and often spoke of suicide, according to his biographer.

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