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Ted Turner dies at 87

Without Ted Turner, we wouldn't have had.....

Braves baseball nationally on (W)TBS
TNT's giant library of classic MGM and RKO movies (everybody with a VCR taped many movies off TNT back in the day)
WCW Wrestling on TBS, which led to the overnight success and international popularity of the late Hulk Hogan
Larry King Live and the rolling news cycle
Headline News, a half-hour of news all day, every day
Cartoon Network, a small network with mostly older cartoons, grew into one of the most-watched children's networks. Not to mention, we wouldn't have The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Ed, Edd, and Eddy, Adult Swim, etc.
Turner Classic Movies, which needs no explanation, was the home of the late Robert Osborne for many years, a true class act in the cinema.

Oh, I almost forgot. Those James Bond, John Wayne, and Perry Mason marathons.

Ted Turner brought cable TV out of its newborn niche era and into an everyday part of American life and entertainment.

RIP and condolences to his family and friends. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
Say hi to Larry King, Aaron Brown, Bernard Shaw, Tom Braden ("on the left" - remember Crossfire?) and the Hulk for us.
 
R.I.P. Mr. Turner, you'll be missed and you're great founder of Time Warner Cable with TBS (Comedy), CNN (News), TNT (Drama), Cartoon Network (Children's) and TCM (Movies) of all-time.

Thank you for everything.
 
Can we call Ted the father of cable television.


I believe that'd be a good title for him. Used to watch TBS as a kid, on our local Rainout Cable, as I used to call it. Always thought it strange, that they (TBS) started their programs on the five. :D) Didn't read the article, may have said it in it, but, was 'TBS an actual UHF station (maybe channel 18) in Atlanta?
 
He sure lit the fire for national distribution of programming to cable systems when he placed the then WTCG on satellite.

I recall the cable system where I lived adding WTCG in April 1978. “Super 17” was still in its local independent phase. Was amazing to see a station from halfway across the country with crystal clear video.


Thanks for the memories/clarification. Yeah, I remember the same feeling, only with WGN. Anybody remember Tempo Television out of HI? I believe it was on channel thirty-two on our system, Alert Cable, outside Greensboro, NC. That was the first place I saw a Western. I was hooked. Of course, it didn't hurt, that there was a radio station in the movie, either. :O)
 

Here is one notable time when Ted Turner took over WJRJ-TV Atlanta and made "Superstation" a household name in the 1970's-1980's when at station became WTCG-TV/WTBS-TV which is where the now cable network TBS (Owned by WB) and the now Gray Media's WPCH-TV's Atlanta history came from.


Thanks, I'll look further into the link, first chance I get.
 
I believe that'd be a good title for him. Used to watch TBS as a kid, on our local Rainout Cable, as I used to call it. Always thought it strange, that they (TBS) started their programs on the five. :D) Didn't read the article, may have said it in it, but, was 'TBS an actual UHF station (maybe channel 18) in Atlanta?
It was Channel 17. Used to be on a freestanding tower about 1000 ft. It really stood out in the Atlanta skyline for a long time. Of course it was the satellite distribution that really made a difference.

BTW at one time they were going to use microwave links but satellite was cheaper and much better.

The :05 was to get a separate listing in the print media like Newspapers and I guessTV Guide. I can't confirm TVGuide because we always had a daily newspaper with TV listings. No need to waste money on TVGuide.
 
It was Channel 17. Used to be on a freestanding tower about 1000 ft. It really stood out in the Atlanta skyline for a long time. Of course it was the satellite distribution that really made a difference.

BTW at one time they were going to use microwave links but satellite was cheaper and much better.

The :05 was to get a separate listing in the print media like Newspapers and I guessTV Guide. I can't confirm TVGuide because we always had a daily newspaper with TV listings. No need to waste money on TVGuide.


Roger on that, thanks for the info.
 

Here is one notable time when Ted Turner took over WJRJ-TV Atlanta and made "Superstation" a household name in the 1970's-1980's when at station became WTCG-TV/WTBS-TV which is where the now cable network TBS (Owned by WB) and the now Gray Media's WPCH-TV's Atlanta history came from.
He also signed MLB's first free agent (Andy Messersmith) as owner of the Braves and assigned Messersmith jersey number 17. His original plan was to "Channel" above the number on the jersey instead of "Messersmith," but the MLB commissioner put the kibosh on it.
 
Since this is a Radio site at one time Ted owned WGOW and WYNQ now WSKZ in Chattanooga. Also he was in billboards.


Roger on getting the thread back on track, so to speak. Didn't Sid Hughes work for one of those Chattanooga stations you mentioned? Wished I could-a-heard him DJ, Sid Hughes, that is, heard he was a great one. Well, I talk about getting the thread back on track, then I derail it, at least somewhat. :D)
 
People remember him for CNN or TBS, or maybe even the America's Cup, which he won in 1977.

But his living legacy may be Ted's Montana Grill:


I've had the bison. It's pretty good!

He was also Jane Fonda's "favorite ex-husband:"


 
Can we call Ted the father of cable television.

No, because cable had been around since at least the late 1960s as a means for people to watch nearby TV stations that would otherwise be fuzzy and blurry due to terrain blocking. However, Mr. Turner *was* responsible for popularizing cable for non-over-the-air broadcast programming. RIP Ted Turner!
 
No, because cable had been around since at least the late 1960s as a means for people to watch nearby TV stations that would otherwise be fuzzy and blurry due to terrain blocking. However, Mr. Turner *was* responsible for popularizing cable for non-over-the-air broadcast programming. RIP Ted Turner!


Cable had been around for that long? Whatyaknowboutthat! Thanks for the info.
 


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