Nigeria TV Info 

CNN Founder Ted Turner, Pioneer of 24-Hour Cable News, Dies at 87

Ted Turner, the visionary businessman who transformed global television journalism by launching the world’s first 24-hour news network, has died at the age of 87.

According to reports released by Turner Enterprises and multiple international media outlets, Turner died peacefully surrounded by family members after a long battle with Lewy body dementia.

Turner revolutionized the media industry in 1980 when he founded CNN, changing how breaking news was delivered across the world. His idea of nonstop news coverage was initially considered risky, but it later became the standard for modern television journalism. CNN gained worldwide prominence during major global events such as the Gulf War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and other historic international crises.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1938, Turner took over his father’s struggling billboard company at a young age and expanded it into a powerful media empire. Beyond CNN, he built Turner Broadcasting into a major entertainment force that included networks such as TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies.

Known for his outspoken personality and bold business style, Turner was also active in sports, philanthropy, and environmental conservation. He owned the Atlanta Braves baseball team, won the America’s Cup yacht race in 1977, and donated $1 billion to support United Nations initiatives, one of the largest charitable pledges ever made at the time.

Tributes have continued to pour in from journalists, political leaders, and media organizations worldwide, many describing Turner as a fearless innovator whose influence reshaped global broadcasting forever. CNN executives praised him as “the giant on whose shoulders we stand.”