Robert Edward “Ted” Turner III media mogul and co-founder of American news channel, CNN has died at the age 87.
According to a news release by the Turner Enterprise. he died peacefully Wednesday, surrounded by his family.
Turner revolutionised TV news broadcasting when he pioneered 24-hour TV broadcasting globally with CNN.
According to CNN report, the Ohio-born Atlanta businessman, nicknamed “The Mouth of the South” for his outspoken nature, built a media empire that encompassed cable’s first superstation and popular channels for movies and cartoons, plus professional sports teams like the Atlanta Braves.
Turner was also an internationally known yachtsman; a philanthropist who founded the United Nations Foundation; an activist who sought the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons; and a conservationist who became one of the foremost landowners in the United States. He played a crucial role in reintroducing bison to the American west. He even created the Captain Planet cartoon to educate kids about the environment.
But it was his audacious vision to deliver news from around the world in real time, at all hours, that really made him famous – once his idea finally took off
In 1991, Turner was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year for “influencing the dynamic of events and turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses of history.”
urner eventually sold his networks to Time Warner and later exited the business, but continued to express pride in CNN, calling it the “greatest achievement” of his life.
In a statement signed by Mark Thompson, the Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide he remarked that, “Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement.”
According to Thompson, “Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world.”
Tribute has continued to pour in from around the world for a man whose life simply defines creativity and resilience.