Pioneering CNN founder Ted Turner dead at 87
In this file photo Ted Turner, owner of TNT networks and his wife actress Jane Fonda are seen entering for an award ceremony in New York. Photo: Reuters
Ted Turner, the flamboyant US entrepreneur who transformed television news with the creation of CNN in 1980 before venturing into philanthropy, has died at the age of 87.
The mustached southerner, champion yachtsman and conservationist, whose empire also included sports clubs, had been suffering from the degenerative disease Lewy Body Dementia.
Cable News Network upended established broadcasting with its dedication to around-the-clock breaking news and shot to global recognition with its coverage of the Gulf War in 1990-91.
The 24-hour network was the first in the United States to run non-stop news and quickly built a worldwide footprint.
"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," Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said Wednesday.
Rupert Murdoch, the owner of competitor Fox News who clashed with Turner in the 1990s before the pair reconciled, said his former business rival "transformed the media industry."
"His impact as a trailblazer has left an indelible mark on our cultural landscape," Murdoch said in a statement.
Among the media world's most influential figures, Turner earned the title of Time magazine's man of the year in 1991. He married three times, including to actress Jane Fonda, and had five children.
In a statement, Turner's family remembered 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!'"
President Donald Trump, who regularly brands CNN as "fake news" as part of his wider attacks on US media, praised Turner as "one of the Greats of All Time."
"Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause!" Trump said in a social media post.