An Atlanta sports and media visionary
In Memoriam
By Brian Allen
Robert Edward Turner III’s road to being one of the world’s most well-known media moguls started along the road. Literally and figuratively.
Ted Turner, or just “Ted” to most folks, started his journey working for his father at his billboard business. After his father’s death in 1963, Turner took the reins of Turner Outdoor Advertising and grew it into one of the nation’s top outdoor advertising firms.
But he wasn’t done yet.
Turner invested in a lowly viewed Atlanta television station on channel 17, and keeping the lights on while keeping their few viewers entertained was a challenge for the entrepreneur. Getting content for that station, named WJRJ, then WTCG, and later WTBS, took similar grunt work. And he had to think out of the box and look for new opportunities to do it.
He bought two underperforming local sports teams, the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks, and put both on his station. He bought Jim Crockett Promotions to bring professional wrestling to Channel 17. Big local programming moves for sure, but he had a larger audience on his mind for his station besides those inside the 404 area code.
He sent the station’s signal to a satellite, dubbed WTBS the “Superstation”, and brought viewers around the world a taste of Atlanta’s sports and entertainment culture.
Braves baseball on the Superstation made Dale Murphy, Phil Nekro and announcers like Skip Caray household names worldwide. Dominique Wilkins put on a show for a global audience with Hawks basketball. And WTBS viewers knew who Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair were before other wrestling fans did, thanks to WCW wrestling. It also featured NBA and college basketball before its future sister cable network, TNT, would be cable’s core basketball championship network.
WTBS was not only a sports powerhouse. Whether it’s music (“Night Tracks”), adventure reality (Jacques Cousteau programs, National Geographic specials), or children’s programming (the enviroment themed “Captain Planet” cartoons, among other kids’ content). WTBS had enough original programming to counterbalance its diet of syndicated reruns. WTBS was a destination for “The Jeffersons”, “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “The Flintstones,” and more TV evergreens.
It was also the place to buy Ginsu Knives, Slim Whitman albums, and more, thanks to those direct-to-consumer ads that aired on the Superstation.
WTBS was doing so well that it even bought another TV station in Charlotte, NC. He would later cash in that station for his next big endeavor.
On July 21, 1980, Turner launched the Cable News Network (CNN), kicking off an ongoing era of live, nonstop news coverage that led to many imitations but never any duplicates. On CNN, viewers saw history unfold before their eyes, with such breaking events as the Regan assassination, the Challenger explosion, the Gulf War, 9/11, and numerous presidential elections. Turner promised that CNN would cover whichever news broke live, and if the end of the world happened, they would cover that live too.
The success of CNN turbocharged the Turner Broadcasting System, based in Midtown Atlanta, and for a long time, Downtown Atlanta. This company would expand to include numerous cable channels (Cartoon Network, TruTV, TNT, etc.), original productions through Turner Entertainment Co., and expanded sports content via Turner Sports.
And Ted Turner was the one calling the shots in the middle of it all. And he wasn’t ready to rest, either.
He found time to pursue growth opportunities, famously trying to purchase CBS in 1985, purchasing MGM/United Artists in 1986, and even trying to buy Paramount Pictures in 1993. He agitated film buffs with his plans to colorize black and white classics like “Gone With The Wind.”
In 1996, Turner merged with Time Warner, ending its time as an independent media company. A 2000 merger with AOL made Ted one of many executives running AOL Time Warner.
But Ted was more than just a businessman who steadily guided Turner Broadcasting System into a global media powerhouse.
Turner was a people person. Many people who remembered Turner the man recalled positive experiences with Turner, who was never a loss for words, and he could be quite entertaining when a camera was around. He was known for making controversial statements and pulling off noteworthy stunts, like taking over the management of the Braves in 1977. He managed one game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which they lost. Observers dubbed him “Captain Outrageous” and ‘The Mouth of the South”. His lively personality was matched only by his love of sailing. His endeavors on the water earned him an America’s Cup victory in 1977.
Ted stepped away from AOL Time Warner in 2003 and subsequently ended his time as a media mogul. But he was never too far away from the companies he led. On September 11, 2001, Ted paid a visit to the CNN newsroom to monitor coverage of the crisis. Ted was always hands-on in his company’s affairs, as he was that day.
Ted owned 24 properties across the country and a chain of bison themed resturaunts. Turner would enjoy watching his baseball team (before and after being sold) win the World Series in 1995 and 2021, and writing memoirs of what it was like to be Ted Turner. Builder. Businessman. Husband. Father. Son. Sailor.
Few of us get a chance to live out our dreams. For many people, it takes being born and raised into your destiny, and taking hold of opportunity when it comes. It also means ignoring naysayers and doubters when they try to distract you from what you know is your north star. Turner had a lot of critics since his days as a billboard man working for his dad, fast forward to his days at the helm of one of the world’s largest media companies. There is a long list of people who doubted Ted Turner, only to look back and see him grinning in triumph.
But when Ted won, Atlanta won. TBS. Braves. Hawks. CNN. The list goes on. Turner’s success helped push Atlanta into the conversation as an international city. He helped cement the city’s lofty standing in sports, media, and culture. He blazed a path that future local cultural leaders and builders like Arthur Blank, Tyler Perry, and others would follow.
The world will be hard-pressed to see another media entrepreneur like Ted Turner. Able to build a company piece by piece by taking chances and leveraging your company’s assets to grow. Today’s multi-billion dollar content factories are out of reach to most entrepreneurs, leading some to look past old school media towards the “influencer” / social media/ tech business.
The pillars of Turner’s legacy are under different ownership now. TBS and CNN are about to become part of Paramount Skydance. The Braves are a sole publicly traded entity. Channel 17 is now owned by local broadcaster Gray Media. Even the property that started it all, Turner Outdoor, is now part of Outfront Media. (Those black colored billboards across metro Atlanta were once his billboards.)
Turner himself is no longer with us. He passed away today at the age of 87.
But the legacy he leaves behind, a city on the cultural forefront and on a global stage, is permanent and something all Atlantans can be proud of. He gave us more than entertainment. He gave us a platform to see mankind making and being a part of history.
Atlanta and the world are appreciative.
Thanks, Ted.
More…
Ted Turner Appreciations….
“Ted Turner was a true pioneer whose vision transformed modern media. Through the creation and development of Turner Broadcasting, Ted changed the way fans experience live sports and brought leagues like the NBA to a broader national and global audience. He was a passionate steward of our game for decades – both as a longtime owner of the Atlanta Hawks and as a devoted partner who played an integral role in advancing the league’s growth.
“On behalf of the NBA, I send my deepest condolences to Ted’s family and friends.”
-Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner
“Ted Turner was one of the most transformational figures Atlanta, and the world, has ever known, and I join the countless others in mourning his loss. He was an extraordinary person in every sense of the word; bold, fearless, unconventional, and deeply committed to making a difference far beyond himself.”
-Arthur M. Blank, Owner and Chairman, Blank Family of Businesses
“Our good friend and former owner, Ted Turner, was one of a kind – a brilliant businessman, consummate showman and passionate fan of his beloved Braves. Ted’s visionary leadership and innovative approach to broadcast television transformed the Braves into “America’s Team.”
“Under his stewardship, the ballclub experienced one of the greatest runs of sustained excellence in Major League Baseball history and brought a World Series championship to Atlanta in 1995.
“Ted was also a legendary philanthropist whose compassion and generosity extended across the globe.
“We will miss you, Ted. You helped make us who we are today, and the Atlanta Braves are forever grateful for the impact you made on our organization and in our community.”
-Atlanta Braves, official statement
“What Ted Turner did for Atlanta is unbridled.
What he did for television is unprecedented.
What he did for the environment changed the world.
A person with no fear and no limitations and should be revered forever.
RIP Captain. 👨✈️👨✈️”
-Steak Shapiro, WZGC, 929 The Game
“Titan. Visionary. Genius, Pioneer, Philanthropist. These words only beign to describe the late Ted Turner. And Atlanta is so much better because he chose to build so much of his legacy here.”
-Andre Dickens, Mayor, Atlanta, Georgia.
“Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of a great Georgian, Ted Turner. He transformed how Americans stayed informed and improved our world as an environmentalist and philanthropist. I am praying for his family and his loved ones.”
-Raphael Warnock, (D) Senator, Georgia
“He swept into my life, a gloriously handsome, deeply romantic, swashbuckling, pirate, and I’ve never been the same….Rest in Peace, dearest Ted. You are loved, and you will be remembered.
-Jane Fonda, ex-wife.
“Ted Turner. Pioneer. Visionary. Sportsman. Brilliant. Brash. Captain Outrageous. Champion. America Cup. Atlanta Braves. WTBS Superstation. CNN. TBS. TNT. Titan. Environmentalist. A life unlike any other. Truly one of a kind. Rest in Peace, Ted Turner.”
-Jim Gray, Hall of Fame sportscaster
Photo credit: Bernard Gotfryd
