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Ted Turner, the media entrepreneur who revolutionized television news by launching CNN, has died at the age of 87, the network announced, BBC News reported.

Media entrepreneur Ted Turner speaks at the UN during his decades-long broadcasting career. (Photo: JC McIlwane, UN Women Flickr)

Turner founded Cable News Network in 1980, creating the world’s first 24-hour television news channel. The network later became a defining force in global media coverage.

CNN chairman and CEO Mark Thompson described Turner as “the giant on whose shoulders we stand.”

The network initially faced skepticism and was mockingly called the “Chicken Noodle Network” by critics who doubted demand for continuous news coverage.

CNN later proved its value through extensive reporting on major events such as the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, and the 1990–1991 Gulf War.

Turner also built the Turner Broadcasting System into a media empire after acquiring a radio station in Atlanta.

Beyond broadcasting, Turner became a major philanthropist, donating $1 billion to the United Nations and supporting environmental and clean-energy causes. He was married to actress Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001.

In 2018, Turner revealed he had Lewy body dementia.