Ted Turner: Movies & Box Office

Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American entrepreneur whose influence reshaped modern media, broadcasting, and philanthropy. Born on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio, he inherited his father's billboard empire and transformed it into a global multimedia conglomerate after taking over Turner Advertising Company in 1963. In the late 1960s he purchased a struggling Atlanta UHF station, rebranded it as WTCG, and pioneered the super‑station concept that turned local programming into a nationwide cable staple, eventually becoming WTBS. Turner's audacious vision led him to launch the Cable News Network in 1980, the first 24‑hour news channel, which forever altered how the world consumes news and solidified his reputation as a broadcasting pioneer. He also founded Turner Network Television (TNT), Turner Classic Movies (TCM), and the Cartoon Network, drawing from his acquisition of the pre‑1986 MGM film library and the later Warner Bros. cartoon catalog. Beyond television, Turner owned major sports franchises—including the Atlanta Braves, Hawks, Thrashers, and World Championship Wrestling—using his channels to promote these properties and popularize professional wrestling. His philanthropic legacy is equally pronounced: he donated $1 billion to create the United Nations Foundation, co‑founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and established the Turner Foundation and Captain Planet Foundation to address environmental and population challenges. Known for his flamboyant personality, Turner earned nicknames like “The Mouth of the South” and Captain Outrageous, yet his work earned numerous honors, from the Lone Sailor Award to induction into the Television Hall of Fame. Today, as one of North America’s largest private landowners and a committed philanthropist, Turner continues to influence media, conservation, and global policy.