{"id":89,"date":"2026-05-06T21:10:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T21:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=89"},"modified":"2026-05-06T21:10:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T21:10:03","slug":"cnn-founder-ted-turner-dies-at-87","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=89","title":{"rendered":"CNN founder Ted Turner dies at 87"},"content":{"rendered":"<div> <!-- --> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>ATLANTA<\/strong> &#8211; <\/span>Ted Turner, the outspoken media maverick who revolutionized global television by founding CNN, died Wednesday at 87 years old. Turner Enterprises confirmed his death in a news release to CNN, marking the end of a career that reshaped news, sports, and philanthropy.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=87\">\u2018Yes\u202696 bananas\u2019: Men steal dozens of bananas from Pennsylvania Wawa, police say<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Media empire history<\/h2>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>What we know:<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>Turner transformed a small Atlanta television station into a global powerhouse by using satellite technology to create the first &#8220;superstation&#8221; in 1975. He launched CNN in 1980 as the first 24-hour news channel, later adding brands like TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies to his portfolio.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>He also expanded into professional sports, owning the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks during highly successful eras for both franchises. Turner was named Time magazine\u2019s Person of the Year in 1991 for his influence on global events and media.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<h2>Health and final years<\/h2>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>What we don&#8217;t know:<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>While Turner Enterprises confirmed his death occurred Wednesday, officials have not yet released specific details regarding his final moments or exact cause of death. Turner had been living with Lewy body dementia since at least 2018, according to his own previous public disclosures.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>It is also unclear if his previous bout with pneumonia in early 2025 contributed to his health decline. Details regarding funeral arrangements or public memorials have not been announced.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<h2>Legacy of giving<\/h2>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>Why you should care:<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>Beyond television, Turner was a massive philanthropist who pledged $1 billion to the United Nations and founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative. He was one of the largest landowners in the U.S. and played a major role in reintroducing bison to the American West.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>His environmental activism extended to entertainment, where he co-created the &#8220;Captain Planet&#8221; cartoon to teach children about conservation. Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, called Turner a &#8220;fearless&#8221; leader and the &#8220;presiding spirit&#8221; of the network.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=84\">Estimated 6 people arrested in downtown LA after sex toys thrown at police during anti-ICE protest<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<h2>Family and background<\/h2>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>The backstory:<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>Born in Cincinnati in 1938, Turner took over his family&#8217;s billboard business following his father&#8217;s suicide in 1963 and moved it to Atlanta. He was married three times, including a high-profile marriage to actress Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>Turner is survived by his five children: Laura Lee, Robert Edward Turner IV, Beau, Rhett, and Jennie. He remained a vice-chairman of Time Warner after a 1996 merger before eventually leaving the company in 2003.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p>Ted Turner Enterprises released a statement on behalf of the Turner family that reads in part:<\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p><i>&#8220;On behalf of the Turner family, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of philanthropist, environmentalist and cable pioneer Ted Turner who died peacefully today at age 87, surrounded by his family.<\/i><\/p>\n<p> <!-- --><\/p>\n<p><i>Turner was most known for his founding of CNN and many Turner networks (including Cartoon Network, TNT and TCM), donating over a billion dollars, saving imperiled and endangered species, preserving more than two million acres of land and serving bison in his Ted\u2019s Montana Grill restaurants. He was also a man known for his no-holds-barred delivery, endearing sense of humor, and undying loyalty to those around him. He charmed people he met with his warmth and general lack of conceit, despite his many successes and celebrity \u2013 an attribute made apparent in his response to anyone who addressed him as &#8220;Mr. Turner&#8221; \u2013 he\u2019d always reply, &#8220;Call me Ted!&#8221;<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The family has requested privacy during this time as they grieve the death of their beloved patriarch. A private family service is planned, and a public memorial will be held at a later date, with details to follow.&#8221;<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=81\">Parachutist carrying US flag slams into stadium scoreboard<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <!-- --> <!-- --> <!-- --> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Media mogul and CNN founder Ted Turner has died at the age of 87, according to Turner Enterprises.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-instastories","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>CNN founder Ted Turner dies at 87 - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=89\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CNN founder Ted Turner dies at 87 - 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