Ted Turner interview, February 9, 2012

File — Box: 11, Folder: 43

Identifier: Y016_TurnerT_20120209

Staff Only

Ted Turner oral history interview

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Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Harvey Newman and Andrea Young. In this interview, Turner explains why he chose Atlanta for his news network despite the disadvantages of Atlanta's location and name recognition at the time. He discusses the importance of having a news network with a Southern and Middle American perspective to counter the Northern slants of other news networks. He describes the commonalities between transportation and communication in forming Atlanta, and his impressions of and involvement in Atlanta politics. He discusses his work in the sports industry, his involvement with the Braves, the Hawks, and the growth of Atlanta's sports. He talks about the importance of protecting the environment, his work protecting the bison, and his charitable donations towards environmental protections. Finally he gives some advice to the Atlanta business leadership.

Dates

Creation: February 9, 2012

Creator

Turner, Ted (Interviewee, Person)

Restrictions on Access

Available in Reading Room and online.

Biographical Note

Ted Turner was born in Cincinnati in November of 1938. In 1963 he took over his father’s billboard business, which then became the begins of media empire. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the world’s first 24-hour news channel, in 1979, which completely changed the face of news broadcasting. He purchased the Atlanta Braves and successfully popularized the team, launched the Goodwill Games with the USSR, and helped revive interest in professional wrestling through World Championship Wrestling. As a philanthropist, he is known for his $1 billion gift which was used to create the United Nations Foundation, on which board he serves as Chairman. Additionally he co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative, which is dedicated to curtailing reliance and proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. He additionally has devoted his assets to environmental causes, including reviving interest in bison meat, thus creating a demand for increasing the species’ population, and creating the animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers. He lives in downtown Atlanta to this day.