By Andrew Kariuki

Media mogul Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and one of the most influential figures in modern broadcasting, has died at the age of 87.

Turner transformed global journalism in 1980 after launching Cable News Network (CNN), the world’s first 24-hour television news channel, permanently changing the way news is consumed across the globe.

CNN announced his death on Wednesday, with tributes pouring in from journalists, politicians and media personalities worldwide.

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

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

US President Donald Trump also paid tribute to the media pioneer, describing him as “one of the greats of broadcast history.”

“Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause,” Trump stated.

Turner initially faced ridicule after launching CNN, with critics dismissing the idea of a round-the-clock news network and mockingly referring to it as the “Chicken Noodle Network.”

However, CNN quickly established itself through major live coverage including the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981, the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986 and its historic live reporting during the 1990-1991 Gulf War.

Former US President George Bush once remarked that he learned more from CNN than from intelligence briefings by the CIA.

Beyond CNN, Turner built a vast media empire that included TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies. He also owned major sports franchises including the Atlanta Braves baseball team and Atlanta Hawks basketball team.

Known for his outspoken personality, Turner earned nicknames such as “Captain Outrageous” and “The Mouth of the South.”

He was also a celebrated yachtsman, winning the America’s Cup in 1977, and later became one of the world’s leading philanthropists after donating $1 billion to the United Nations and supporting environmental and clean energy initiatives.

Turner was married to actress Jane Fonda between 1991 and 2001.

In 2018, he publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disorder.

Veteran CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour described Turner as a man who “created an unstoppable media revolution for the benefit of all humankind.”

His death marks the end of an era for global television journalism and the modern cable news industry he helped create.