Ted Turner death: Media icon behind CNN dies at age 87

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Ted Turner, the media mogul who founded CNN and created the first 24-hour news channel, died Wednesday at 87 years old, according to CNN.

Turner was a pioneer of modern cable television, establishing the concept of “superstation” which allowed local cable television to access a national audience, creating the Turner Broadcasting System and launching channels such as TNT, Cartoon Network, TBS and more.

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” Mark Thompson, the CEO and chairman of CNN, said in a statement.

“He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. 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,” Thompson said.

Ted Turner, the media tycoon who founded CNN, died at 87 years old (AFP/Getty)

A cause of death is unknown at this time. In 2018, Turner revealed he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disease.

This is a breaking news story, more follows…