Ted Turner, the media visionary who launched CNN from a converted Atlanta studio in 1980, died peacefully on May 6, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was 87.
Turner's impact on downtown Atlanta is immeasurable. On June 1, 1980, he launched CNN — America's first 24-hour cable news network — from a studio complex that would become the iconic CNN Center on Marietta Street. The building, which served as CNN's home for decades, was rebranded as The CTR in 2026 after CP Group invested more than $200 million in its transformation. At the May 20 unveiling, CP Group's Chris Eachus honored Turner: "In 1987, Ted Turner walked these halls and turned it into a window on the world."
Beyond CNN, Turner built Turner Broadcasting System into a media empire encompassing TBS, TNT, and Cartoon Network. He purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976 and transformed them into "America's Team" through TBS's national broadcasts, culminating in a World Series title in 1995. He also owned the Atlanta Hawks and founded the Goodwill Games.
Turner's philanthropy matched his business ambitions. He donated $1 billion to create the United Nations Foundation, championed environmental causes through Captain Planet, and became one of the largest private landowners in the United States while playing a pivotal role in reintroducing bison to the American West.
AT&T's WarnerMedia named its Techwood campus in Midtown after Turner, posting a plaque describing him as "the original maverick" and "pioneer in the media industry." NPR remembered him as "a trailblazer, a rabble-rouser, a do-gooder."