Ted Turner dies at 87, CNN says
Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and one of the most influential figures in US media, has died at the age of 87.
The network announced his death on Wednesday, according to the supplied reports.
The reports say Turner died after building a media empire that began with his father's billboard business and expanded through the purchase of a television station in 1970.
He later launched CNN in Atlanta in 1980.
The immediate significance of his death is tied to CNN's role in shaping 24-hour television news.
The reports describe the channel as the first around-the-clock cable news network, with Turner's model later influencing global news coverage.
Turner was also described as a major business figure and philanthropist.
The supplied material says he became one of the most powerful people in US media and entertainment, and later merged Turner Broadcasting System with Time Warner in 1996.
The reports add that Turner had Lewy body dementia, which he revealed in 2018.
They also note his wider interests in sports, environmental causes and charitable giving.
His career extended beyond CNN.
The supplied rows say he owned the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks in the 1970s, started the Goodwill Games in 1986 and co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative in 2001.
