Ted Turner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ted Turner
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Turner in 2015
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Robert Edward Turner III
November 19, 1938 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Brown University |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1960–present |
| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) |
Julia Gale Nye
(m. 1960; div. 1964)Jane Shirley Smith
(m. 1965; div. 1988) |
| Children | 5 |
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Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American businessman and TV producer. He is famous for starting the Cable News Network (CNN). This was the first TV channel to show news 24 hours a day. He also created WTBS, which was a "superstation" that sent its programs to many cable TV systems. He also founded other popular TV channels like TBS and TNT.
Ted Turner is also known for his charity work. He gave $1 billion to create the United Nations Foundation. This group helps support the United Nations and its important work. In 2001, he also helped start the Nuclear Threat Initiative. This group works to reduce dangerous weapons around the world.
Turner's media journey began with his father's billboard advertising business. He took over the company in 1963. In 1970, he bought a TV station in Atlanta. This was the start of the Turner Broadcasting System. In 1980, he launched CNN, which is now a major news network. Turner also owned the Atlanta Braves baseball team. They even won the 1995 World Series while he owned them. He also started the Goodwill Games, a sports event. He also helped make professional wrestling popular again by buying Jim Crockett Promotions, which became World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Turner was known for speaking his mind. He was sometimes called "The Mouth of the South." He has also used his money to help the environment. He used to be the biggest private landowner in the United States. He uses his land for ranches to raise bison. He has the largest bison herd in the world. He also created the cartoon series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, which teaches about the environment.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ted Turner was born on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father, Robert Edward Turner II, owned a large billboard business. When Ted was nine, his family moved to Savannah, Georgia. He went to a private school called The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Turner later attended Brown University. He was a leader in the debating club and captain of the sailing team. He first studied classics, but his father wanted him to study something else. He then changed his major to economics. However, he was asked to leave the university before he could finish his degree. He later received an honorary degree from Brown University in 1989.
After leaving Brown, Turner joined the United States Coast Guard Reserve. He served in places like Charleston and Fort Lauderdale.
Business Ventures
Starting WTBS
After college, Ted Turner returned to Georgia in 1960. He became the general manager of his father's advertising business in Macon. In 1963, after his father's death, Turner took over the company. He was only 24 years old. He grew the company into a global business.
In the late 1960s, Turner started buying radio stations. In 1969, he sold his radio stations to buy a struggling TV station in Atlanta. This station was called WJRJ, Channel 17. Turner believed that people would want more TV channels. He changed the station's name to WTCG. The station showed old movies, cartoons, and classic TV shows. He bought these programs cheaply. WTCG also started showing Atlanta Braves baseball games and Atlanta Hawks basketball games.
In 1976, a new rule allowed WTCG to send its programs by satellite to cable TV companies across the country. On December 17, 1976, WTCG became a "Super-Station." It broadcast old movies, comedies, cartoons, and sports nationwide. As more homes got cable TV, more people watched his station. This made his company very successful. He bought a large piece of land in South Carolina.
In 1976, Turner bought the Atlanta Braves baseball team. In 1977, he bought the Atlanta Hawks basketball team. He did this partly to have more programs for his TV station. By showing Braves games across North America, he made the team famous.
In 1978, Turner changed the name of his company to Turner Broadcasting System. His TV station WTCG was renamed WTBS. In 1986, Turner started the Goodwill Games. These games aimed to improve relations between different countries. Broadcasting these games also gave his superstation more sports content. Turner Field, the former home stadium of the Atlanta Braves, was named after him.
Creating CNN
In 1978, Ted Turner decided to create a 24-hour news channel. He talked to media executive Reese Schonfeld about his idea. Schonfeld said it would cost a lot of money to start.
In 1979, Turner sold his North Carolina TV station to help pay for the new news channel. He set up the headquarters in Atlanta. Schonfeld became the first president of the new channel, called Cable News Network (CNN). CNN hired many experienced news people. CNN started broadcasting on June 1, 1980.
The "Doomsday Video"
Turner famously said that CNN would not stop broadcasting "until the world ends." He joked that they would play the National Anthem only once, on the first day. Then, when the world ended, they would play the song "Nearer, My God, to Thee" before signing off. Turner even had a video made of a military band playing this hymn. This video is reportedly stored in CNN's system, marked to be released only when the end of the world is confirmed.
Other Business Ventures
In 1986, Turner bought the film studio MGM/UA Entertainment Co. He took on a lot of debt to do this. He later sold parts of the company back but kept MGM's large library of old movies and TV shows.
Turner Entertainment was created in 1986 to manage these films and TV shows. Turner showed many of these old movies on TV. When some black-and-white films were shown, he had them colorized. Many film fans and directors did not like this. Because of this, the Library of Congress started the National Film Registry to protect American films in their original forms.
In 1988, Turner bought Jim Crockett Promotions. He renamed it World Championship Wrestling (WCW). This became a major rival to Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF). This competition was known as the "Monday Night War." In 2001, WCW was sold to the WWF.
Also in 1988, Turner launched Turner Network Television (TNT). It started by showing older movies and TV shows. Later, TNT added new original programs. Turner also created Turner Classic Movies (TCM) in 1994. This channel shows classic films from the MGM library and other studios.
In 1990, Turner created the Turner Foundation. This foundation gives money to help the environment and address issues like overpopulation. In the same year, he created Captain Planet, an environmental superhero. Turner produced the TV series Captain Planet and the Planeteers based on this character.
In 1992, the old MGM film library, which included early Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, became the basis for Cartoon Network. A year before, Turner's companies bought Hanna-Barbera Productions, which made many famous cartoons. With a later merger in 1996, Cartoon Network also gained access to more Warner Bros. cartoons.
In 1993, Turner and a Russian journalist started a TV company in Moscow. This company launched the Russian channel TV-6.
Time Warner Merger
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The Turner Broadcasting System merged with Time Warner on October 10, 1996. Ted Turner became a vice chairman and head of Time Warner's cable networks. He later stepped down from these roles. He resigned from the Time Warner board of directors in 2006.
On January 11, 2001, Time Warner merged with America Online (AOL). Turner initially supported this merger. However, the internet bubble burst, which hurt AOL's business. This caused problems for the combined company. Turner lost a lot of money when the stock price dropped. He later said he could not afford to buy back his old companies.
Rivalry with Rupert Murdoch
Ted Turner had a long-standing rivalry with fellow media owner Rupert Murdoch. This started in 1983 during a yacht race. Murdoch's yacht crashed into Turner's yacht. After the race, Turner spoke angrily to Murdoch.
Murdoch's Fox News, started in 1996, became a competitor to Turner's CNN. Turner once said he would "squash Rupert Murdoch like a bug." In 2003, Turner challenged Murdoch to a fight. He also criticized Murdoch for supporting the 2003 invasion of Iraq. However, in 2019, Turner said that he and Murdoch had made up.
Atlanta Braves Ownership
| Ted Turner | |
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| Atlanta Braves – No. 27 | |
| Manager | |
| Born: November 19, 1938 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |
| May 11, 1977, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| Last appearance | |
| May 11, 1977, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Games | 1 |
| Win–loss record | 0–1 |
| Winning % | .000 |
| Teams | |
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For many years, Ted Turner was very involved as the owner of the Atlanta Braves. In 1977, he was even suspended for a year by the baseball commissioner. This was because of how he tried to sign a player.
On May 11, 1977, the team was on a 16-game losing streak. Turner decided to become the interim manager himself. He managed the team for one game, which they lost. But the National League president told him he could not manage the team. Rules prevent owners from managing.
In the mid-1980s, Turner started letting others manage the team's daily operations. Under his ownership, the Braves won the 1995 World Series. The Atlanta Braves were later sold by Time Warner in 2007.
Awards and Recognition
Ted Turner has received many awards for his work in media, sports, and charity.
- Emmy Awards: He won Lifetime Achievement Emmy Awards for Sports (2014) and News & Documentary (2015).
- Sports:
- In 1995, his Atlanta Braves won the World Series.
- The Braves' home stadium from 1996 to 2016 was named Turner Field after him.
- Media:
- In 1989, he received the Paul White Award for journalism.
- In 1990, he won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.
- Time magazine named him "Man of the Year" in 1991.
- He received a Peabody Award in 1997.
- In 1999, he won the Edison Achievement Award for his new ideas.
- Halls of Fame:
- He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1991.
- He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004.
- Other Honors:
- In 1991, he received the Audubon medal for his environmental work.
- In 2001, he received the Albert Schweitzer Gold Medal for Humanitarianism.
- In 2010, he was named a Georgia Trustee for his accomplishments and community service.
- In 2013, he received the Lone Sailor Award for his service in the Coast Guard and his civilian career.
Politics and Philanthropy
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Ted Turner has shared his views on various global issues. In 2006, he spoke about nuclear weapons, saying that other countries should be allowed to have them if the U.S. has so many. He supports universal healthcare for everyone, saying it's a "disgrace" that the U.S. doesn't have it.
In 2010, after an oil spill and a mining disaster, Turner suggested that these events might be a sign that people should stop drilling for oil and mining coal. He believes we should use cleaner energy sources like solar and wind power.
Turner supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He once thought about running for president himself, but his wife at the time, Jane Fonda, said she would leave him if he did.
Helping Control Population Growth
Turner is a strong supporter of clean water and protecting the land. He also created the Turner Foundation to help control population growth. He has given a lot of his own money to this foundation. He believes that managing population growth is important for solving problems like hunger and poverty.
In 2009, Turner met with other wealthy business leaders like Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates. They discussed global issues, including the environment and healthcare. They also talked about population growth.
Turner Enterprises
Turner Enterprises, Inc. (TEI) is a private company founded by Ted Turner in 1976. It manages his business interests, land, and investments. Turner owns 24 properties across the United States and Argentina. He is one of the largest private landowners in North America, with about two million acres of land.
TEI's ranches are mainly used for raising bison. Turner's bison herd has about 51,000 animals, making it the largest private herd in the world. The company's goal is to manage Turner's lands in a way that is good for both the economy and the environment. They also work to protect native wildlife. Besides bison ranching, the ranches are used for fishing, hunting, and eco-tourism. His largest ranch is Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico. It is the biggest privately owned piece of land in the United States.
TEI also works closely with Turner's charity groups, such as the United Nations Foundation and the Turner Foundation. Turner Enterprises is based in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2011, TEI installed solar panels at their headquarters to provide clean energy.
Personal Life
Ted Turner has been married and divorced three times. He has five children. In 2012, he mentioned that he had four girlfriends, which he found easier than being married. One of his sons, Robert Edward "Teddy" Turner IV, ran for a political office in South Carolina in 2013.
In 2010, Turner joined The Giving Pledge, started by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. He promised to donate most of his wealth to charity after his death.
In 2008, Turner wrote a book called Call Me Ted, which shares details about his career and personal life. In 2018, Turner shared that he was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a health condition that affects his memory and thinking.
Sailing Achievements
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| Club |  Savannah Yacht Club |
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| College team |  Brown University |
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Medal record
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Ted Turner started competing in sailing races when he was 26. He tried to win the America's Cup in 1974 but lost.
In 1977, Turner was asked to join the team defending the America's Cup. He was the skipper of the yacht Courageous. From September 13 to 18, 1977, Turner and his team on Courageous won the America's Cup. They defeated the challenger Australia in four races.
In the 1979 Fastnet Race, during a big storm, he led his boat Tenacious to victory. Turner was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in 1977 after winning the America's Cup. He was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2011.
Legacy and Impact
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Ted Turner is seen as one of the most important people who changed the cable TV industry. He has been called "the Alexander the Great of broadcasting."
His TV networks, like TBS, showed popular old sitcoms, movies, cartoons, and sports. He found a large audience for these classic shows. He believed he was bringing TV back to its "golden age."
The cable industry grew very fast in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many new cable channels started, following Turner's model. These include channels like ESPN, MTV, Bravo, Showtime, BET, the Discovery Channel, and The Weather Channel.
Bob Hope, who worked for Turner's networks, said that "Ted Turner was special." He described Turner's vision, determination, and willingness to take risks as "infectious." Hope added that Turner had a great passion for doing what was right for the world. He wanted to use communication to bring peace and help people understand each other. His ideas for the Goodwill Games and the UN Foundation showed his desire for peace.
Eric Bischoff, a professional wrestling promoter who worked with Turner, praised him as an "inspirational leader." He said Turner was not afraid to fail and was always looking for the next big challenge.
Vince McMahon, the owner of WWF (now WWE), had a famous rivalry with Turner. In 1999, McMahon said he didn't like Turner. Later, in 2021, McMahon dismissed a new wrestling company by saying it was not like when Ted Turner used all of Time Warner's resources to compete with him.
In 2010, Ted Turner was honored as a Georgia Trustee. This award is given to people who show great accomplishments and community service, reflecting the ideals of Georgia's founders.
Images for kids
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Turner in 2015
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See also
In Spanish: Ted Turner para niños
