CNN founder Ted Turner dies at 87

The media mogul pioneered the modern 24-hour news culture when he launched the Cable News Network in 1980. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Ted Turner speaks at UNICEF's Evening for Children First to Honor Ted Turner on March 30, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia Media mogul Ted Turner, who pioneered the modern 24-hour news culture when he launched the CNN channel, has died at the age of 87, the network has announced. Turner launched Cable News Network as the first dedicated rolling news channel, in 1980, which soon became a central part of the media landscape. "Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement," CNN CEO and chairman Mark Thompson 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." Black & white photo of Ted Turner standing behind a lectern with a CNN logo at the launch event in Atlanta, Georgia, on 1 June 1980 CNN initially struggled, but proved its worth by providing speedy and continuous updates of stories like the assassination attempt on US President Ronald Reagan in 1981, and the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986. The network truly came of age with its live rolling coverage from Iraq during the 1990-1991 Gulf War. President Bush once said he learned more from CNN than he did from the CIA. CNN's success led other news channels to follow, such as Fox News, launched in 1996 by Turner's long-time rival Rupert Murdoch. But CNN was far from Turner's only outlet. He began his career by taking over the successful family billboard company when his father took his own life, then bought a radio station in Atlanta, Georgia. Within a decade, that station had become the foundation of the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) and its boss was one of the United States' biggest media moguls. Turner was married to actress Jane Fonda for a decade Ted Turner with Jane Fonda in formalwear at the Volunteers of America's First Annual Glasnost Award Salute to Ted Turner on March 22, 1990 His television empire also included the TBS and TNT channels, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network. He made a short-lived, ill-fated $1.5bn (£1.1bn) acquisition of the MGM film studios in 1985. He went on to buy film and TV companies Castle Rock Entertainment and New Line Cinema in the 1990s, before his company merged with Time Warner. Beyond the media, Turner was a world-class yachtsman, winning the America's Cup in 1977, and owned the Atlanta Braves baseball team, Atlanta Hawks basketball team and Atlanta Thrashers ice hockey team. He was married to actress Jane Fonda from 1991 until 2001. Mark Thompson speaks during a keynote address at CES 2019 at The Venetian Las Vegas on January 8, 2019 Former BBC boss Mark Thompson named head of CNN Five members of the show's professional line-up, including the long-serving Karen Hauer, are leaving. Prime Video have said fans coming to the set causes "real safety concerns" and disrupts filming. Mat Capper has relocated so the comedian can use his unit in Dagfield, Cheshire, for filming.