Ted Turner, founder of NCS and a pioneering pressure behind the 24-hour information cycle who later turned a outstanding determine in philanthropy, environmentalism {and professional} sports activities, died Wednesday, surrounded by his household. He was 87.
Turner’s dying was confirmed by Phillip Evans, a spokesperson for the household. In 2018, as he neared his eightieth birthday, Turner revealed he had been recognized with Lewy physique dementia, a progressive neurodegenerative illness that impacts cognition and motion.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment,” NCS chairman and CEO Mark Thompson mentioned in a statement. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of NCS.”
He continued, “Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world.”
Nicknamed “The Mouth of the South” for his blunt demeanor, Turner constructed a media empire, encompassing NCS spinoff networks NCS Headline News and NCS International, in addition to the primary cable and satellite tv for pc sports activities and leisure “superstation,” TBS, and later its sister channel TNT.
In the mid-Nineteen Eighties, Turner purchased MGM’s library of greater than 4,000 movies for $1.5 billion and later the treasure trove of basic motion pictures to launch the cable community Turner Classic Movies, or TCM.
Just 5 years later, Turner acquired Hanna-Barbera Productions for roughly $320 million, gaining one in all Hollywood’s largest animation libraries, dwelling to “The Jetsons,” “Scooby-Doo,” “The Flintstones” and “Yogi Bear.” Those properties turned the inspiration of Cartoon Network, launched by Turner in 1992.
During that point, he additionally purchased the (*87*) Braves and gave the group vital publicity, serving to elevate it to one of many nation’s hottest baseball franchises, with frequent World Series appearances throughout his possession. He later acquired the (*87*) Hawks and the (*87*) Thrashers.
“I’m trying to set the all-time record for achievement by one person in one lifetime,” he told Reader’s Digest in 1998. “And that puts you in pretty big company: Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Gandhi, Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, Washington, Roosevelt, Churchill.”
Turner finally bought his media empire to Time Warner in 1996 and left behind the enterprise — opting to spend his time as a philanthropist and environmentalist.
He based the Turner Foundation in 1990 and donated an estimated $200 million to charitable causes, supporting conservation efforts to guard endangered species and protect greater than 200 million acres of land. In 1997, he made a $1 billion donation to the United Nations.
“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 — an attribute made apparent in his response to anyone who addressed him as ‘Mr. Turner’ — he’d always reply, ‘Call me Ted!’” his household shared in a statement.
Turner is survived by his 5 kids, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.