Ted Turner not only played a huge role in the progress of Atlanta but was also one of the early pioneers of cable television. “In the last three decades of the twentieth century, Ted Turner transformed himself into a modern-day icon whose work has made a significant impact nationally as well as in the city of Atlanta” (Ted Turner). He has produced many feature films and also owns the Atlanta Braves. Ever since his early years he has worked with Georgia in advertising as well as television and other forms of entertainment.
He started working for his father’s billboard company in Savannah in 1960 and after his father’s death moved the company to Macon. “At the age of 22, he became general manager of the Turner Advertising Company's Macon branch”(Ted Turner, Media Mogul). His billboard company became a huge success so he moved to Atlanta and bought a television station called WJRJ. He changed the name in 1979 to Turner Broadcasting System. He also aired the Atlanta Braves and made it one of the most popular teams in the nation due to the fact that his program was viewed nationwide. He later bought the Braves as well as the Hawks.
In 1980 Turner created the Cable News Network (CNN) which was a “twenty-four-hour all-news television network” (Ted Turner) He also went on to try and buy out CBS but failed in the attempt. Though he went on to expand his name across the globe. Networks arose under his name such as; Turner South, Cartoon Network, Turner Network Television (TNT), and Turner Classic Movies. He did stumble into some hard times when he bought out MGM and fell into $2 billion dollars in debt. Then in 1986 he tried to broadcast the Goodwill Games, which was a “Turner-conceived, made-for-television event that closely mimicked the Olympic Games”(Ted Turner). It was a big flop which cost him about $20 million.
A major boom for Turner was in 1991 when he began broadcasting the Persian Gulf War. This really boosted his ratings and brought more viewers to his network. Another major success was when the Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 1995. In 1996 he merged Turner Broadcasting with Time Warner giving up his “controlling interest” in his sports teams and networks. (Ted Turner)
Turner donated millions to several organizations, mostly to environmental causes. He also donated the largest amount of money ever donated to the United Nations. The donation was a sum of $1 billion. He also opened a food chain called Ted’s Montana Grill which is thriving and expanding. Turner also merged Time Warner with America Online (AOL) and went on to write an autobiography labeled, Call Me Ted, in 2008.
Ted Turner played a huge role in Atlanta’s media networking. Through Time Warner studios in Atlanta which contains, Cartoon Network, Turner South, and Turner Network Television. The Atlanta Braves also became a huge success due to Turner’s broadcasting and went on to be called “America’s Team” If it weren’t for Ted Turner Atlanta would not the media hub that it is today.
Bibliography
Starrs, Chris. "Ted Turner." Georgia Encyclopedia. 2009. Georgia
Humanities Council . Web.9 Apr 2009.
"Ted Turner, Media Mogul." Vault . 2009. The New York Times . 9
Apr 2009
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