CNN founder Ted Turner dies at 87

Ted Turner, the founder of CNN who is credited with starting the 24-hour news cycle, died on Wednesday, reported the American news network. He was 87.

He had been suffering from Lewy Body Dementia, a neurodegenerative disease, according to AFP.

Launched in 1980, CNN was the first round-the-clock television news channel. It gained global recognition with its coverage of the Gulf War in 1990-’91.

In 1991, Time magazine named Turner its “Man of the Year” for “influencing the dynamic of events and turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses of history”.

Apart from CNN, he had also established cable television networks Cartoon Network, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, among others.

Turner later sold his networks to Time Warner, an American media and entertainment conglomerate.

Mark Thompson, the chairman and chief executive officer of CNN Worldwide, stated that Turner was an “intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement”.

“He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN,” Thompson was quoted as saying by the news network. “Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognise him and his impact on our lives and the world.”
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