Ted Turner had a vision to create the first 24-hour cable news network. He assembled a ragtag team of mavericks willing to work tirelessly to beat the odds and launch CNN on time. Through guts, determination, and clever maneuvers, CNN withstood early technical problems and fierce competition from better-funded rivals. Turner kept CNN afloat with risky financial deals as it slowly gained viewers and credibility. By sticking to its mission of providing continuous global news coverage, CNN revolutionized television news and became an influential international media force. Though it struggled initially, CNN proved that an underdog with vision and grit could challenge entrenched industry leaders and redefine an entire field.
Ted Turner, born in 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio, inherited a successful billboard advertising company from his father, Ed Turner, who had built it from scratch in Georgia. Despite the company's growth to nearly $1 million in revenue by the time Ted was twenty-two, Ed's worsening depression led to his suicide in 1963, when Ted was twenty-four. Taking over as President and CEO of Turner Advertising, Ted expanded the business, purchasing a struggling television station in Atlanta by 1970. He assembled a team willing to take risks, innovated in programming by running old shows, and saw the station turn profitable within a year. In 1972, Turner made a significant move by acquiring rights to broadcast Atlanta Braves games, boosting his station's profile. Despite challenges like broadcasting in UHF and airing black-and-white shows, his stations were earning over $1 million in profit annually by 1973. Anticipating the rise of cable TV, Turner aimed to distribute his Atlanta station nationally via satellite. To avoid potential cost increases for Braves rights, he bought the team, structuring the deal creatively. Turner's vision extended to launching a 24-hour news channel. He consulted Reese Schonfeld, an independent news producer, about the idea in the late 1970s. Despite initial skepticism from cable operators, Turner's persistence paid off, and CNN was launched on June 1, 1980. Turner and Schonfeld announced the channel's launch in May 1979, signing CBS's Dan Schorr to add credibility. Turner planned for CNN to cover a wide range of news with a focus on live reporting, especially during prime time. Turner's approach to business was to lead change and believe that demand would follow supply. He aimed to make news entertaining on CNN while limiting commercials to just 12 minutes per hour. The launch of CNN was a $100 million gamble, with Turner betting on a bold vision to attract an audience. This approach reflected Turner's belief in creating a product and proving its viability, a philosophy that ultimately revolutionized news broadcasting and established CNN as a leading news source.
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