Ted Turner, the American media mogul who founded CNN and pioneered 24-hour television news, has died at the age of 87.
He died on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, according to Turner Enterprises and multiple confirming reports.
Born on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Turner took over his family’s billboard advertising business in the 1960s after his father’s death, using it as a base to expand into broadcasting.
In 1970, he acquired a struggling Atlanta television station and transformed it into a nationally distributed “superstation,” laying the foundation for Turner Broadcasting System.
He later expanded his media empire with networks such as TBS and TNT.
READ ALSO: Gap Co-Founder Doris Fisher Dies At 94
His defining achievement came in 1980 with the launch of CNN, the world’s first 24-hour news channel, which revolutionized global news delivery and established the continuous news cycle now standard in broadcasting.
Turner also owned major sports franchises, including the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks, further extending his influence across media and entertainment.
Beyond business, he became a major philanthropist, pledging $1 billion to United Nations initiatives and emerging as one of the largest private landowners in the United States, with significant conservation-focused holdings.
In 2018, he disclosed a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological condition, and gradually withdrew from public life.
His death closes a landmark chapter in modern media history, defined by the creation of CNN and the global transformation of television journalism.