By Li Wong
Atlanta, May 7, 2026 – Atlanta lost one of its most towering figures this week. Ted Turner, the visionary tycoon whose legacy encompassed media, conservation, philanthropy, and professional sports, died Wednesday at his home near Tallahassee. He was 87.
For the communities of Georgia — including the many Asian American families who have made this great state their home — Turner was more than a businessman. He was proof that Atlanta was not just a Southern city, but a global one.
On June 1, 1980, Ted Turner launched CNN at a converted country club right here in Atlanta. That bold act changed the world forever. He invented 24-hour news with CNN and pioneered national basic cable at a time when many thought the idea was foolish. He proved them wrong. For millions of families across Asia — parents and grandparents huddled around television sets from Seoul to Mumbai to Manila — CNN was often their first window into American life and world affairs. Turner built that window.
He was nicknamed “The Mouth of the South” for his outspoken nature, but behind the bravado was a man of remarkable vision and courage. He turned the Turner Broadcasting System into a behemoth, establishing the “superstation” concept and launching channels such as TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies. He did not just build a company — he built a culture.
Here in Atlanta, Turner's love for this city was perhaps most visible at Fulton County Stadium and later Turner Field. He owned the Atlanta Braves when they won the World Series, and his passion for the team was legendary. He sat in the stands like a regular fan, cheering loudly and sometimes controversially. Turner once named himself the manager of the Atlanta Braves in 1977, leading to a dispute with Major League Baseball. That was Ted — never content to just watch from the sidelines.
Beyond sports and media, Turner gave back in ways few have matched. He donated a record $1 billion to create the United Nations Foundation, a gift that stunned the world and helped redefine what it means to be a person of wealth and conscience. He also created the Nuclear Threat Initiative to secure loose nuclear weapons in the former Soviet republics and elsewhere — a cause that resonated deeply with communities around the world who know the cost of conflict.
CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson said Turner “was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN — the giant on whose shoulders we all stand.”
The Georgia Asian Times extends its deepest condolences to the Turner family and to all who were touched by this remarkable man's life and work. Ted Turner believed that the news could connect humanity — that a camera pointed at the truth, beamed across the globe, could make neighbors of strangers. For our community, that belief mattered deeply.
Rest in peace, Ted. Atlanta will miss you. The world will miss you more.
