History UsefulNotes / TedTurner

But he also had a nasty habit during this time: [[GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion colorizing old black-and-white movies]], which was decried by cinephiles and TV viewers alike. He ''did'' [[WellIntentionedExtremist have a good goal in mind when commencing colorization]] -- he began to have movies to be transferred from film that could be worn out or broken, to more durable formats like videotape for future preservation, and at the same time had colorized versions of those films made (primarily because other television stations were more likely to buy the rights to color films than black-and-white titles; Turner didn't even start the process). He eventually stopped the habit not only due to the bad press, but also because it was far too costly. Thankfully, this did have some positive consequences, in that it gave a big boost to the film preservation movement, and helped inspire the creation of the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry. He then established Creator/TurnerClassicMovies in 1994 to showcase these catalog titles unedited, uncut and uninterrupted, much to cinephiles' relief and joy, as TCM has never wavered from this goal and is seen as one of the shining examples of averting NetworkDecay.

Turner was now on the map, and sought to capitalize on it. In 1979, he announced the formation of the world's first 24-hour news channel. He bought an old country club in Midtown Atlanta on Techwood Avenue for the new venture (moving WTBS into the facility in the meantime)[[note]]the front facade was used as the logo for Turner Pictures and Turner Home Entertainment in the 1990s, leading to the nickname of the "Turner Mansion"[[/note]], and on June 1st, 1980, the ''Cable News Network'', or just [[UsefulNotes/NewsNetworks CNN]], launched and... well, it wasn't an instant success, but gradually people began catching on to it and by the time of the first [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar Gulf War]] in 1991, the channel proved it was ingrained in the American consciousness, as people stayed on its 24-hour coverage. It gradually began expanding internationally and with a variety of spin-off channels and ventures, although not all of them have worked. [[Creator/{{HLN}} CNN2]], later renamed to ''Headline News'', was launched in 1982 (taking the satellite space of a failed CNN rival, Creator/{{ABC}} and Group W's Satellite News Channel), as a 24-hour service dedicated to rolling news headlines. In 1987 CNN moved out of the Techwood facility and into a largely-vacant office complex in downtown Atlanta; redubbing it the CNN Center, it helped to revitalize the Downtown Atlanta area and is a major tourist attraction (though in recent years CNN has moved most of its programming to its bureaus in NY and DC; the CNN Center continues to be used by HLN and the other CNN networks).

But this didn't deter Turner, who continued his other successful ventures and in 1986, made his biggest purchase yet: that of the storied Hollywood studio Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer and its sister studio, Creator/UnitedArtists. But after 74 days, he returned them to former owner Kirk Kerkorian, due to a crushing debt load (which ultimately required a bailout financed by cable operators and other media companies). But he shrewdly kept a very valuable asset-- MGM's film library, encompassing not only MGM-produced films, television shows and cartoons, but also material from Creator/WarnerBros (the studio's pre-1950 library, color ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons made prior to August 1948, and all Creator/HarmanAndIsing-produced ''Merrie Melodies''), Creator/{{Paramount}} (The [[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer]][=/=]Creator/FamousStudios-produced ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' cartoons), and the US/Canadian rights to the Creator/RKORadioPictures library, totaling well over 7000 titles. He used this to not only supply WTBS with programming, but also start another new network, Creator/{{TNT}} (''Turner Network Television''), which would focus on not only these catalog titles, but also air expanded sports coverage to supplement TBS, special events and original programming (partially as a result of his failed efforts to purchase Creator/{{CBS}} in 1985). And of course, it launched with the first cable telecast of his favorite film, ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' (which he now owned).

But the biggest change came in 1996, when Turner Broadcasting merged with Time Warner, owner of Creator/WarnerBros, HBO (ironically), Time Inc. and its collection of magazines, cable systems, and various other media assets. With this merger, the halves of the WB library were reunited, allowing Cartoon Network and TCM access to the rest of the WB library. As a result of the merger, Turner grew farther and farther away from the day-to-day operations of his networks.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was the son of billboard magnate Robert Edward Turner II and attended Brown University-- only to get kicked out for [[ValuesDissonance having a girl in his dorm room]]. He returned to Georgia and worked at his father's company, only for him to become head when his father [[DrivenToSuicide committed suicide]] in 1963. He turned his dad's company into the largest billboard-advertising firm in the Southeast. But this was merely a stepping stone; flush with cash, he started buying television stations, specifically WJRJ, channel 17 in UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, and WCTU channel 36 in Charlotte, NC. He renamed both, to WTCG (for ''Turner Communications Group'') and WRET (for ''Robert Edward Turner'') respectively, and turned the flailing stations around by programming them with older reruns, movies and sports. By 1976, he bought the MLB's [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Atlanta Braves]] to provide built-in programming, and still later bought the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was the son of billboard magnate Robert Edward Turner II and attended Brown University-- only to get kicked out for [[ValuesDissonance having a girl in his dorm room]]. He returned to Georgia and worked at his father's company, only for him to become head when his father [[DrivenToSuicide committed suicide]] in 1963. He turned his dad's company into the largest billboard-advertising firm in the Southeast. But this was merely a stepping stone; flush with cash, he started buying television stations, specifically WJRJ, channel 17 in UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, and WCTU channel 36 in Charlotte, NC. He renamed both, to WTCG (for ''Turner Communications Group'') and WRET (for ''Robert Edward Turner'') respectively, and turned the flailing stations around by programming them with older reruns, movies and sports. By 1976, he bought the MLB's [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Atlanta Braves]] to provide built-in programming, and still later bought the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

* [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Atlanta Braves]] (*)

* Creator/{{CNN}}

Turner was now on the map, and sought to capitalize on it. In 1979, he announced the formation of the world's first 24-hour news channel. He bought an old country club in Midtown Atlanta on Techwood Avenue for the new venture (moving WTBS into the facility in the meantime)[[note]]the front facade was used as the logo for Turner Pictures and Turner Home Entertainment in the 1990s, leading to the nickname of the "Turner Mansion"[[/note]], and on June 1st, 1980, the ''Cable News Network'', or just Creator/{{CNN}}, launched and... well, it wasn't an instant success, but gradually people began catching on to it and by the time of the first [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar Gulf War]] in 1991, the channel proved it was ingrained in the American consciousness, as people stayed on its 24-hour coverage. It gradually began expanding internationally and with a variety of spin-off channels and ventures, although not all of them have worked. [[Creator/{{HLN}} CNN2]], later renamed to ''Headline News'', was launched in 1982 (taking the satellite space of a failed CNN rival, Creator/{{ABC}} and Group W's Satellite News Channel), as a 24-hour service dedicated to rolling news headlines. In 1987 CNN moved out of the Techwood facility and into a largely-vacant office complex in downtown Atlanta; redubbing it the CNN Center, it helped to revitalize the Downtown Atlanta area and is a major tourist attraction (though in recent years CNN has moved most of its programming to its bureaus in NY and DC; the CNN Center continues to be used by HLN and the other CNN networks).

But he also had a nasty habit during this time: [[GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion colorizing old black-and-white movies]], which was decried by cinephiles and TV viewers alike. He ''did'' [[WellIntentionedExtremist have a good goal in mind when commencing colorization]]-- he began to have movies to be transferred from film that could be worn out or broken, to more durable formats like videotape for future preservation, and at the same time had colorized versions of those films made. He eventually stopped the habit not only due to the bad press, but also because it was far too costly. Thankfully, this did have some positive consequences, in that it gave a big boost to the film preservation movement, and helped inspire the creation of the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry. He then established Creator/TurnerClassicMovies in 1994 to showcase these catalog titles unedited, uncut and uninterrupted, much to cinephiles' relief and joy, as TCM has never wavered from this goal and is seen as one of the shining examples of averting NetworkDecay.

As for Turner Broadcasting itself, it would chug along for the next 16 years before it met its virtual end in a 2019 shakeup of Creator/WarnerMedia. Cartoon Network, its sister channels Creator/{{Boomerang}} and Creator/AdultSwim, and Turner Classic Movies had their operations transferred to Warner Bros., Turner Sports and CNN were merged into a newly-formed [=WarnerMedia=] News and Sports group (alongside the AT&T [=SportsNet=] [=RSNs=]), while the remnants of Turner Broadcasting, which included TNT, TBS, and [=truTV=], were merged with HBO to form [=WarnerMedia=] Entertainment, effectively dividing Turner's media empire into parts.

As for Turner Broadcasting itself, it would chug along for the next 16 years before it met its end in a 2019 shakeup of Creator/WarnerMedia. Cartoon Network, its sister channels Creator/{{Boomerang}} and Creator/AdultSwim, and Turner Classic Movies had their operations transferred to Warner Bros., Turner Sports and CNN were merged into a newly-formed [=WarnerMedia=] News and Sports group (alongside the AT&T [=SportsNet=] [=RSNs=]), while the remnants of Turner Broadcasting, which included TNT, TBS, and [=truTV=], were merged with HBO to form [=WarnerMedia=] Entertainment, effectively dividing Turner's media empire into parts.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tedturner.jpg]]

Born in UsefulNotes/{{Cincinnati}}, Ohio, he was the son of billboard magnate Robert Edward Turner II and attended Brown University-- only to get kicked out for [[ValuesDissonance having a girl in his dorm room]]. He returned to Georgia and worked at his father's company, only for him to become head when his father [[DrivenToSuicide committed suicide]] in 1963. He turned his dad's company into the largest billboard-advertising firm in the Southeast. But this was merely a stepping stone; flush with cash, he started buying television stations, specifically WJRJ, channel 17 in UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, and WCTU channel 36 in Charlotte, NC. He renamed both, to WTCG (for ''Turner Communications Group'') and WRET (for ''Robert Edward Turner'') respectively, and turned the flailing stations around by programming them with older reruns, movies and sports. By 1976, he bought the MLB's [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Atlanta Braves]] to provide built-in programming, and still later bought the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was the son of billboard magnate Robert Edward Turner II and attended Brown University-- only to get kicked out for [[ValuesDissonance having a girl in his dorm room]]. He returned to Georgia and worked at his father's company, only for him to become head when his father [[DrivenToSuicide committed suicide]] in 1963. He turned his dad's company into the largest billboard-advertising firm in the Southeast. But this was merely a stepping stone; flush with cash, he started buying television stations, specifically WJRJ, channel 17 in UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, and WCTU channel 36 in Charlotte, NC. He renamed both, to WTCG (for ''Turner Communications Group'') and WRET (for ''Robert Edward Turner'') respectively, and turned the flailing stations around by programming them with older reruns, movies and sports. By 1976, he bought the MLB's [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Atlanta Braves]] to provide built-in programming, and still later bought the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

He was the son of billboard magnate Robert Edward Turner II and attended Brown University-- only to get kicked out for [[ValuesDissonance having a girl in his dorm room]]. He returned to Georgia and worked at his father's company, only for him to become head when his father [[DrivenToSuicide committed suicide]] in 1963. He turned his dad's company into the largest billboard-advertising firm in the Southeast. But this was merely a stepping stone; flush with cash, he started buying television stations, specifically WJRJ, channel 17 in UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, and WCTU channel 36 in Charlotte, NC. He renamed both, to WTCG (for ''Turner Communications Group'') and WRET (for ''Robert Edward Turner'') respectively, and turned the flailing stations around by programming them with older reruns, movies and sports. By 1976, he bought the MLB's [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Atlanta Braves]] to provide built-in programming, and still later bought the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

[[quoteright:266:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/turner_thinking.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:266:He was probably thinking "What crazy idea next?"]]

But his breakthrough came when, following in pay-TV network [[Creator/{{HBO}} Home Box Office]]'s example, he decided to uplink WTCG to satellite for cable viewers nationwide to watch. This was an instant success, and WTCG-- renamed to ''[[Creator/{{TBS}} Superstation WTBS]]'' (for the renamed ''Turner Broadcasting System'') in 1979-- was the first basic cable channel. [[note]]WRET was sold around this time-- after having taken the Creator/{{NBC}} affiliation-- and without Turner's support, the station fell on its butt, as new owner Westinghouse/Group W inexplicably sought to sabotage the station's success by preempting nearly all NBC programming, cutting local news down to a single midday bulletin, and ''reducing the power of the station's transmitter''; it was left struggling for a few years before new ownership turned it around, though WCNC, as it was renamed eventually, still struggles in the ratings.[[/note]]

As for Turner Broadcasting itself, it would chug along for the next 16 years before it met its end in a 2019 shakeup of [=WarnerMedia=]. Cartoon Network, its sister channels Creator/{{Boomerang}} and Creator/AdultSwim, and Turner Classic Movies had their operations transferred to Warner Bros., Turner Sports and CNN were merged into a newly-formed [=WarnerMedia=] News and Sports group (alongside the AT&T [=SportsNet=] [=RSNs=]), while the remnants of Turner Broadcasting, which included TNT, TBS, and [=truTV=], were merged with HBO to form [=WarnerMedia=] Entertainment, effectively dividing Turner's media empire into parts.

But this didn't deter Turner, who continued his other successful ventures and in 1986, made his biggest purchase yet: that of the storied Hollywood studio Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer and its sister studio, Creator/UnitedArtists. But after 74 days, he returned them to former owner Kirk Kerkorian, due to a crushing debt load. But he shrewdly kept a very valuable asset-- MGM's film library, encompassing not only MGM-produced films, television shows and cartoons, but also material from Creator/WarnerBros (The studio's pre-1950 library, color ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons made prior to August 1948, and all Creator/HarmanAndIsing-produced ''Merrie Melodies''), Creator/{{Paramount}} (The [[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer]][=/=]Creator/FamousStudios-produced ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' cartoons), and the US/Canadian rights to the Creator/RKORadioPictures library, totaling well over 7000 titles. He used this to not only supply WTBS with programming, but also start another new network, Creator/{{TNT}} (''Turner Network Television''), which would focus on not only these catalog titles, but also air expanded sports coverage to supplement TBS, special events and original programming (partially as a result of his failed efforts to purchase Creator/{{CBS}} in 1985). And of course, it launched with the first cable telecast of his favorite film, ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' (which he now owned).

But he also had a nasty habit during this time: [[GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion colorizing old black-and-white movies]], which was decried by cinephiles and TV viewers alike. He ''did'' [[WellIntentionedExtremist have a good goal in mind when commencing colorization]]-- he began to have movies to be transferred from film that could be worn out or broken, to more durable formats; including videotape for future preservation, and at the same time had colorized versions of those films made. He eventually stopped the habit not only due to the bad press, but also because it was far too costly. Thankfully, this did have some positive consequences, in that it gave a big boost to the film preservation movement, and helped inspire the creation of the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry. He then established Creator/TurnerClassicMovies in 1994 to showcase these catalog titles unedited, uncut and uninterrupted, much to cinephiles' relief and joy, as TCM has never wavered from this goal and is seen as one of the shining examples of averting NetworkDecay.

2000 saw the infamous merger of Time Warner with America Online, which Turner initially agreed to, but as the merged AOL Time Warner began posting huge losses as a result of the dot-com bubble's bursting, he realized that this was a bad idea and that he had been reduced to a mere figurehead, holding no power in the company's operations. This realization resulted in the sale of [[Wrestling/{{WCW}} World Championship Wrestling (WCW)]], which he had purchased in 1988, to [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)]], as a consequence of WCW's huge losses-- Turner couldn't protect them anymore. Turner ultimately left the company in 2003.

As for Turner Broadcasting itself, it would chug along for the next 16 years before it met its end in a 2019 shakeup of [=WarnerMedia=]. Cartoon Network, its sister channels Creator/{{Boomerang}} and Creator/AdultSwim, and Turner Classic Movies had their operations transferred to Warner Bros., Turner Sports and CNN were merged into a newly-formed [=WarnerMedia=] News and Sports group, while the remnants of Turner Broadcasting, which included TNT, TBS, and [=truTV=], were merged with HBO to form [=WarnerMedia=] Entertainment, effectively dividing Turner's media empire into parts.

As for Turner Broadcasting itself, it would chug along for the next 16 years before it will met its end in a shakeup of [=WarnerMedia=], the current name for Time Warner, first announced in March 2019. Cartoon Network, its sister channels Creator/{{Boomerang}} and Creator/AdultSwim, and Turner Classic Movies will have their operations transferred to Warner Bros., Turner Sports and CNN will be merged into a newly-formed [=WarnerMedia=] News and Sports group, while the remnants of Turner Broadcasting, which included TNT, TBS, and [=truTV=], will be merged with HBO to form [=WarnerMedia=] Entertainment, effectively dividing Turner's media empire into parts.

Also, he ''really'' hates [[SitcomArchNemesis Rupert Murdoch]] -- back in 1983, a Murdoch-owned sailing ship caused Turner's vessel to run aground in an Australian regatta, and in response, Turner challenged Murdoch to a televised fistfight at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. And [[BrickJoke he offered the fistfight again in 2003]], after he criticized Murdoch's backing of the War in Iraq.

As for Turner Broadcasting itself, it would chug along for the next 16 years before it eventually met its end in a shakeup of [=WarnerMedia=], the current name for Time Warner, in March 2019. Cartoon Network, its sister channels Creator/{{Boomerang}} and Creator/AdultSwim, and Turner Classic Movies saw their operations transferred to Warner Bros., Turner Sports and CNN were merged into a newly-formed [=WarnerMedia=] News and Sports group, while the remnants of Turner Broadcasting, which included TNT, TBS, and [=truTV=], were merged with HBO to form [=WarnerMedia=] Entertainment, effectively dividing Turner's media empire into parts.

Also, he ''really'' hates [[SitcomArchNemesis Rupert Murdoch]] -- back in 1983, a Murdoch-owned sailing ship caused Turner's vessel to run aground in an Australian regatta, and in response, Turner challenged Murdoch ''[[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer to a televised fistfight at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas]]''. And [[BrickJoke he offered the fistfight again in 2003]], after he criticized Murdoch's backing of the War in Iraq.

* Atlanta Braves
* Atlanta Hawks