CNN founder and media pioneer Ted Turner dies at 87

ATLANTA — Ted Turner, the media entrepreneur who transformed global television news by launching the world’s first 24-hour news channel, has died at the age of 87, CNN announced.Turner founded Cable News Network in 1980, pioneering continuous live news coverage and reshaping the global media landscape.“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson said in a statement.“He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN.”CNN initially faced skepticism but gained prominence through its live coverage of major events including the 1981 assassination attempt on U.S. President Ronald Reagan, the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster, and the 1990-91 Gulf War.The network’s real-time reporting from Baghdad during the Gulf War established CNN as a dominant global news source and helped define modern rolling news coverage.Turner’s influence extended far beyond CNN. He built a major media empire that included Turner Broadcasting System, TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network.He also owned several sports franchises, including the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks, and won the America’s Cup yacht race in 1977.Turner was married to actress Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001.Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern broadcasting, Turner’s launch of CNN helped redefine how the world consumes breaking news.