CNN founder and pioneer of 24-hour news Ted Turner dead at 87

6 May 2026 • 10:42 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

CNN founder and pioneer of 24-hour news Ted Turner dead at 87

  • Media mogul Ted Turner, founder of CNN and pioneer of 24-hour news, passed away Wednesday at the age of 87.
  • Turner established CNN in 1980, revolutionizing television with the first dedicated 24-hour news channel.
  • He was instrumental in developing modern cable television, introducing the “superstation” concept and launching channels including TNT, Cartoon Network, and TBS.
  • CNN CEO Mark Thompson lauded Turner as the “presiding spirit” of the network, acknowledging his profound impact on the media landscape.
  • While the cause of death is currently unknown, Turner had publicly disclosed a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia in 2018.

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