Media figure and philanthropist, Ted Turner died yesterday at the age of 87. The cause of death was not announced by family members but in 2018, Turner announced that he was suffering from dementia.
During his lifetime, Turner was a pioneer in the formation of the 24-hour news station through CNN in 1980 which is now a common thing in the world. Through CNN, he wanted to increase the knowledge of the American people to the outside world. At that time, news was only shown a few hours a day in a certain slot.
In the early stages of CNN's establishment, it was criticized because many said there was no market for a channel that only published news 24 hours a day. CNN's name began to rise and be known through its hourly coverage of the Gulf War in 1990. For the first time in history, the development of a war could be followed in real time throughout the day.
Through his giant media company, Turner was also responsible for establishing Cartoon Network which is a 24-hour animation channel. In the 1990s, he sought to create and produce the animated series Captain Planet and The Planeteers to raise awareness about the environment and pollution, which created a generation that was more aware of environmental sustainability.
For wrestling fans, he was a tycoon who spent almost the limit to establish World Championship Wrestling, which competed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The Monday Night Wars between WCW and WWF were a glorious era of wrestling that is still remembered today.
Outside of business, Turner donated his wealth to support UN initiatives, organizations against the use of nuclear weapons, to protect endangered animals, to environmental organizations, and to oppose Israeli violence against Palestinians.
