Ted Turner: Media Mogul and the Creation of the 24-Hour News Cycle

A Young Boy’s Dream

Little Ted bounced in his seat as he watched the cars zoom past his father's billboard. It was 1947 in Cincinnati, and nine-year-old Ted Turner couldn't stop smiling. The big, colorful signs his daddy put up made the streets look magical.

"Daddy, how do you make the signs so big?" Ted asked, his blue eyes wide with wonder.

Robert Turner, Ted's father, chuckled and ruffled his son's hair. "It takes hard work, son. But anything worth doing takes hard work."

Ted lived in a nice house with his sister and parents. His father owned Turner Advertising Company, which put up billboards all over the city. Even as a young boy, Ted loved watching his father work.

“I want to be just like you when I grow up!” Ted would tell his father.

Life wasn't always easy for young Ted. He went to different schools as his family moved around. Sometimes he felt lonely, but he always found ways to keep busy. He loved sailing boats and reading books about adventure.

Learning the Family Business

When Ted turned twelve, his father started teaching him about billboards. They would drive around Cincinnati together, looking at different signs.

"See that empty space there?" his father would point. "That's where we could put our next billboard!"

Ted learned important lessons:
• Always work hard
• Think big
• Never give up
• Take care of your customers
• Be brave when things get tough

But not everything was perfect. Ted's father was strict and wanted him to be the best at everything. He sent Ted to military school when he was just a teenager. At first, Ted didn't like being away from home, but he learned to be strong and independent.

A Difficult Time

One day, when Ted was twenty-four, something very sad happened. His father became very sick and worried about the business. Ted tried to help, but before he could, his father passed away.

This was the hardest time in Ted's life. He was young, scared, and now had to take care of the family business. But remember those lessons his father taught him? Ted never forgot them.

“I promised myself I would make my father proud,” Ted said later. “I would build something amazing.”

Young Ted stood in front of his father's old office. The billboard company wasn't very big yet, but Ted had big dreams. He looked out the window at the city streets below.

"I'm going to do more than just billboards," he whispered to himself. "I'm going to change the world."

Little did anyone know that this young man from Cincinnati would grow up to create something that would change how everyone watches news on TV. But that was just the beginning of Ted Turner's amazing story.

The sun was setting over Cincinnati, and Ted Turner was ready to begin his journey. He had his father's lessons in his heart and big dreams in his mind. The billboard company was just the first step in what would become an incredible adventure.

Building from the Ground Up

The year was 1963, and Ted Turner sat at his father’s old desk. He was only 24 years old. The billboard company now belonged to him. He looked at the pile of papers and took a deep breath.

“I can do this,” Ted said to himself. “I have to do this.”

Making Big Changes

Ted knew he needed to think differently. The old way of doing things wasn’t enough anymore. He called all the workers together for a meeting.

“We’re going to make this company bigger and better,” he told them. “Who’s with me?”

The workers smiled and nodded. They liked Ted’s energy and big ideas. Together, they started putting up more billboards than ever before. Ted worked harder than anyone else.

“If you want to succeed, you have to work harder than everybody else,” Ted would say.

Growing the Business

Ted didn’t just stick to Cincinnati. He started buying billboard spaces in other cities too. Soon, Turner Advertising had signs in:

• Atlanta
• Charleston
• Jacksonville
• Savannah
• Macon

Every time Ted earned money, he would use it to buy more billboards. Some people thought he was crazy for spending so much, but Ted knew what he was doing.

A New Adventure Begins

One day in 1970, Ted saw something that changed everything. He was driving through Atlanta when he noticed a small TV station for sale. It wasn’t doing very well, but Ted had an idea.

“What if we could use TV the same way we use billboards?” he wondered. “To reach even more people!”

“Sometimes the best opportunities look like problems to everyone else,” Ted told his team.

The TV station was called Channel 17, and it needed a lot of work. Many people told Ted not to buy it. They said he should stick to billboards. But Ted remembered what his father taught him about being brave.

Taking Big Risks

Ted used all the money he had saved to buy the TV station. It was scary, but exciting too! He renamed it WTCG and started showing old movies and Atlanta Braves baseball games.

Some days were hard. Sometimes the TV equipment wouldn’t work right, or shows wouldn’t play correctly. But Ted never gave up. He kept working and learning and trying new things.

“We’re going to make this the best TV station in Georgia,” he would tell his workers. And slowly but surely, they did!

Ted’s office now had two maps on the wall. One showed all his billboards, and one showed where his TV signal reached. Every day, he would look at those maps and dream about making them bigger.

The sun was setting over Atlanta, and Ted stood at his office window. He watched the city lights come on, one by one. Just like those lights, his ideas were starting to shine brighter and brighter. But even Ted didn’t know just how bright they would become.

The Television Dream

The old TV station sat on a hill in Atlanta. Its red and white tower reached up into the sky like a giant metal tree. Ted Turner walked through the dusty halls of Channel 17.

Starting Fresh

“What do we show first?” asked Bill, one of the TV workers.

Ted smiled. “Let’s give people something fun to watch! Old movies, cartoons, and lots of sports!”

The machines were old, and sometimes the picture would get fuzzy. But Ted and his team worked hard every day to make things better.

“We’re going to make TV that people want to watch all day long,” Ted told his team.

Learning New Things

Ted had to learn a lot about TV very quickly. He learned about:

• Cameras

• Antennas

• Shows

• Commercials

• Broadcasting

Sometimes things went wrong. Once, during a baseball game, all the lights went out! But Ted didn’t give up. He just laughed and said, “Well, tomorrow will be better!”

Making TV Better

Ted had a big idea. He wanted his TV station to reach more than just Atlanta. He looked at a map and pointed to different cities.

“What if we could send our shows to all these places?” he asked his team.

“People everywhere want good TV to watch,” Ted said. “Let’s give it to them!”

He bought new machines that could send TV shows through something called a satellite. It was like throwing a ball really high into space, and having it bounce back down to other TVs!

Growing Bigger

The TV station started doing better. More people were watching Channel 17. Ted renamed it WTBS, and it became known as the “Superstation.”

Ted’s office was now full of TV screens. He would watch them all, making sure everything looked good. Sometimes he would stay at work until very late at night.

New Ideas Coming

One evening, Ted was watching the news on his TV. It was only on for 30 minutes. He thought, “Why does the news have to stop? Important things happen all day long!”

He grabbed his notebook and started writing. A new idea was growing in his mind, bigger than anything he had tried before.

“What if,” he said to himself, “we had a TV channel that showed news all day and all night?”

Ted looked out his window at the big TV tower. The red light on top blinked like a star. He smiled, knowing that soon, that blinking light would be part of something much, much bigger.

Making News History

The year was 1979, and Ted Turner sat in a bright meeting room in Atlanta. His blue eyes sparkled with excitement as he shared his big idea.

A Big Dream

“News should never sleep!” Ted told his team. “We’re going to make a TV channel that shows news all day and all night.”

Many people laughed at Ted’s idea. They said things like:

“That will never work!”

“There isn’t enough news to fill 24 hours!”

“Nobody wants to watch news all day!”

Building the Team

Ted didn’t listen to the doubters. He started looking for brave people who believed in his dream. He needed:

• News reporters

• Camera operators

• Writers

• Weather experts

• Technical workers

Reese Schonfeld became Ted’s helper in charge. Together, they found hundreds of people who wanted to be part of this new idea.

“We’re not just making a TV channel,” Ted said. “We’re making history!”

Getting Ready

Ted found a big building in Atlanta to be the home of his new channel. He called it CNN – Cable News Network.

Workers installed:

– Bright lights ⭐
– Big cameras
– Computer screens
– News desks
– Satellite dishes

Money Matters

Starting CNN cost a lot of money. Ted had to be brave and smart with his money. He sold some things he owned and asked banks to help.

“This is worth every penny,” Ted said. “People need to know what’s happening in the world, any time of day.”

Almost Ready

As the launch day got closer, everyone worked extra hard. They practiced how to tell news stories and tested all the equipment.

“What if something goes wrong?” asked a nervous reporter.

Ted smiled and said, “Things will go wrong. But we’ll fix them and keep going. That’s what news is all about!”

Every night, Ted would walk through the CNN building. He could already imagine the buzz of reporters sharing news from around the world.

The world was about to change, and Ted Turner was ready to lead that change. His dream of 24-hour news was about to become real.

The World Watches

The big day arrived! On June 1, 1980, Ted Turner stood proudly in the CNN control room. His heart was beating fast with excitement.

The Big Start

“5…4…3…2…1…” The room was quiet. Then Ted’s voice boomed through the speakers:

“We won’t be signing off until the world ends. We’ll be on, and we will cover it live!” ️

Growing Bigger

At first, only a few people watched CNN. But Ted knew good things take time. He kept making the channel better.

Some big things CNN showed first:

• The space shuttle taking off
• Important world meetings
• Big sports games
• Breaking news from far away
• Weather storms ⛈️

Changing How We Watch News

CNN did things differently from other TV channels. They showed news as it happened, right away!

Ted’s team used new tools to share news faster:

– Small cameras that could go anywhere
– Special trucks to send video from far away
– Big satellite dishes to talk to reporters around the world

Making History

In 1991, something big happened. A war started in a place called Iraq. CNN was there to show it to everyone.

“We’re showing history as it happens,” Ted said proudly. “This is what I dreamed about!”

Growing Around the World

People in other countries wanted to watch CNN too. Ted made sure they could!

Ted’s team grew bigger and bigger. They opened CNN offices in:

– London
– Tokyo
– Moscow
– Hong Kong

Helping People Learn

Schools started using CNN to teach students about the world. Teachers loved how CNN made news easy to understand.

“When kids watch CNN, they learn about different places and people,” Ted said with a smile. “That makes me very happy!”

The little TV channel that some people laughed at had grown into something amazing. Ted Turner had changed how everyone watches news forever.

Making the World Better

Ted Turner sat in his office, looking at pictures from his amazing life. He smiled, remembering how far he had come.

Growing Even Bigger

“We did it!” Ted said happily. His small TV channel had grown into a huge company. Now he owned many channels:

Helping Nature

But Ted wanted to do more than just TV. He wanted to make the world better!

“We need to take care of our Earth,” Ted told everyone. He bought lots of land to protect animals and plants.

“I want my grandchildren to see buffalo running free and birds flying high!” Ted said with a big smile.

Sharing With Others

Ted had more money than he could ever spend. So he decided to give lots of it away to help people!

He helped with:

– Saving animals
– Cleaning the oceans
– Building schools
– Helping sick people
– Making peace between countries ️

Teaching Others

Ted loved to teach young people about business and helping others. He visited schools and talked to students.

“Dream big! You can do anything if you work hard and care about others,” Ted would tell them.

Looking Back

The little boy who loved boats had grown up to change the world! Ted showed everyone that:

The Story Continues

Today, Ted Turner is still working to make the world better. His story shows us that one person really can change the world!

“The biggest thing I learned,” Ted says, “is that making money is good, but using it to help others is even better!”

And just like CNN keeps showing news 24 hours a day, Ted Turner’s good work keeps going and going, making our world a little bit better every day.

As Ted likes to say with a twinkle in his eye, “The best is yet to come!” ⭐