Media Moguls with Web Barr

• The Ted Turner Saga | Part 7: CNN - Hour 1. Day 1. Year 1. Decade 1.

  The cameras are rolling, the clock is ticking, and Ted Turner has bet everything he owns on CNN. This episode takes you inside CNN’s first hour, first day, first year, and first decade, from the first broadcast to the first ad, the first breaking news moment, and the first competitors. We cover the battles that shaped CNN’s early years: lawsuits against the Big 3 and the White House, Reagan’s shooting, major story triumphs and…failures, and the epic showdown with ABC-Westinghouse’s Satellite News Channel, all while CNN fought for relevance and survival. Come along for the ride! More From Hi Barr Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up for our ⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠  Listen to Hi Barr’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠You Had To Be There⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast! For business inquiries, please email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ Credits Writing, research, and production by Web Barr. Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dylan Lathrop⁠⁠⁠⁠. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Podcast Consultant⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Chapters (00:00): Opening Monologue (10:32): Pre-Launch (19:30): CNN Launches (25:15): Opening Words (34:00): CNN’s First Commercial (43:00): CNN’s First Misstep (51:30): Las Vegas Fire (54:00): John Lennon Assassination  (1:12:30): Reagan Assassination Attempt (1:52:00): News Competition Emerges  (2:10:00): Ted Plans Counterattack (2:36:49): CNN 2 Launches (2:53:00): SNC Launches  (3:00:00): Cable War Fallout  (3:11:00): CNN News Feed  (3:21:00): On The Next Episode Sources Books used in Episode 7. Get em here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠It Ain't As Easy As It Looks: Ted Turner's Amazing Story⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Ted Turner Speaks: Insights From the World's Greatest Maverick⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠CNN: The Inside Story: How a Band of Mavericks Changed the Face of Television News⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Confessions of an Advertising Man⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lead Follow or Get Out of the Way: The Story of Ted Turner⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Media Man: Ted Turner's Improbable Empire⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Clash of the Titans: How the Unbridled Ambition of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch Has Created Global Empires that Control What We Read & Watch Each Day⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Call Me Ted⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the rise of the modern cable-TV business⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Me and Ted Against the World: The Unauthorized Story of the Founding of CNN⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Masters of Enterprise: Giants of American Business from John Jacob Astor and J.P. Morgan to Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey⁠ Roone: A Memoir Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The Ted Turner Saga | Part 6: The Birth of CNN

  This episode tells the story of how Ted Turner built and launched CNN, the world’s first 24-hour news network, in just 11 months. At a time when network news aired only 30 minutes a night, Turner saw a bigger opportunity. With news veteran Reese Schonfeld, he set out to build a nonstop news operation from Atlanta, using cable and satellites to take on the media establishment. We'll explore how CNN went from a wild idea from a guy known for hating news to a professional operation running on a bare bones budget, despite industry doubts and early setbacks. You’ll hear how Ted pitched CNN, why incumbents like The Washington Post and Time Inc. passed, and how their scrappy team pulled it off. It was risky and chaotic, everything that could go wrong did, but in the end, they changed the world forever. More From Hi Barr Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠ Sign up for our ⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠ Email us: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠  Listen to Hi Barr’s ⁠⁠⁠You Had To Be There⁠⁠⁠ podcast! For business inquiries, please email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Credits Writing, research, and production by Web Barr. Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠Dylan Lathrop⁠⁠⁠. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by ⁠⁠⁠The Podcast Consultant⁠⁠⁠ (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Chapters (00:00): Broadcasting Queen Elizabeth's Coronation (08:30): Ted’s News Pitch (20:00): Why News? (25:30): Reese Schonfeld’s News Dream (31:00): Network Dominance (42:00): How Network News Worked (48:00): Who Else Considered Cable News? (57:00): Ted Pitches CNN to Reese (1:18:00): Ted Pitches CNN to Cable (1:27:00): Reese's News Format (1:34:00): Daniel Schorr (1:45:00): Desperate Negotiations (1:51:00): Announcing CNN (1:55:00): Visiting The Gray Lady (2:00:00): Motivations & Risks (2:05:00): CNN's River of News (2:11:00): Creating the CNN Logo (2:14:00): Funding CNN (2:18:00): Hiring a Leadership Team (2:24:00): News Gathering (2:32:00): Groundbreaking Distribution (2:40:00): CNN's Format (2:43:00): Programming Strategies & Schedule (2:46:00): First Ad Deal (2:51:00): Trouble Selling Ads? Call Ted (2:55:00): New HQ (2:58:00): The Impossible Open Newsroom (3:03:00): Fastnet Drowns CNN? (3:06:00): MISSING! SATCOM III (3:14:00): Ted Goes to 30 Rock (3:26:00): Recruiting CNN’s Staff (3:35:00): Inventing the VJ (3:43:00): CNN College (3:53:00): Predictions (4:00:00): Last Minute Prep (4:08:00): The Final Storm Sources Books used in Episode 6. Get em here! ⁠⁠⁠It Ain't As Easy As It Looks: Ted Turner's Amazing Story⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Ted Turner Speaks: Insights From the World's Greatest Maverick⁠⁠⁠ CNN: The Inside Story: How a Band of Mavericks Changed the Face of Television News ⁠⁠⁠Confessions of an Advertising Man⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Lead Follow or Get Out of the Way: The Story of Ted Turner⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Media Man: Ted Turner's Improbable Empire⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠Clash of the Titans: How the Unbridled Ambition of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch Has Created Global Empires that Control What We Read & Watch Each Day⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Call Me Ted⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the rise of the modern cable-TV business⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Me and Ted Against the World: The Unauthorized Story of the Founding of CNN⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Masters of Enterprise: Giants of American Business from John Jacob Astor and J.P. Morgan to Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey Staying Tuned: A Life in Journalism (Daniel Schorr) ⁠Going There (Katie Couric's Memoir)⁠ Atomic Habits (James Clear) Paul Krugman on the Internet (1998) Ace Greenberg's PSD Memo (1981) Nike's Breaking2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The Ted Turner Saga | Part 5: The Superstation Serves a Nation

  This episode follows the rise of the Superstation, the backlash it triggered, and the battles that helped shape the future of television. Ted Turner takes WTCG Channel 17 from a scrappy Atlanta station to a national disruptor, beaming it across the country as America’s first Superstation. With a mix of old movies, classic TV reruns, and Braves baseball, Turner reached millions of viewers from Kansas to Hawaii and cracked the networks’ stranglehold on television—without asking permission. But building a national audience was just the beginning. Facing mounting pressure from Hollywood studios, sports leagues, syndicators, and the Big Three networks, Turner went to war—on Capitol Hill and in the court of public opinion. He positioned TBS not just as a TV station, but as a true alternative to the system itself. And as his rivals scrambled to shut him down, Turner made one thing clear: the toothpaste was already out of the tube. More From Hi Barr Follow us on ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠ Sign up for our ⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠ Email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠  Listen to Hi Barr’s ⁠⁠You Had To Be There⁠⁠ podcast! For business inquiries, please email: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ Credits Writing, research, and production by Web Barr. Artwork by ⁠⁠Dylan Lathrop⁠⁠. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by ⁠⁠The Podcast Consultant⁠⁠ (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Chapters (00:00): Opening Monologue (03:01): The Superstation Launches (09:30): Ted’s Audience Data Fix (17:00): Competitor Breakdown (29:35): Superstation Schedule (37:00): Sales & Advertising Troubles (1:00:30): Cable’s Better Model (1:14:11): Ted’s Media Star Rises (1:25:30): A REAL Alternative (1:35:00): Incumbents Strike Back (1:58:00): Showdown in Congress Sources Books used in Episode 5. Get em here! ⁠⁠It Ain't As Easy As It Looks: Ted Turner's Amazing Story⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Ted Turner Speaks: Insights From the World's Greatest Maverick⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Confessions of an Advertising Man⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Lead Follow or Get Out of the Way: The Story of Ted Turner⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Media Man: Ted Turner's Improbable Empire⁠⁠  ⁠⁠Clash of the Titans: How the Unbridled Ambition of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch Has Created Global Empires that Control What We Read & Watch Each Day⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Call Me Ted⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the rise of the modern cable-TV business⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Me and Ted Against the World: The Unauthorized Story of the Founding of CNN⁠⁠ ⁠Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers⁠ ⁠Masters of Enterprise: Giants of American Business from John Jacob Astor and J.P. Morgan to Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The Ted Turner Saga | Part 4: The Satellite Brings a Superstation

  This episode explores the boldest gamble of Ted Turner's life to date — launching his scrappy Atlanta TV station, WTCG Channel 17, into orbit via satellite and transforming it into America’s first SUPERSTATION. From Arthur C. Clarke’s 1945 prediction of satellite TV to Telstar I’s first live broadcast to HBO’s 1975 Thrilla in Manila transmission that took the tech to a new level, we land in the mid-1970s, when Turner saw what others missed: satellites weren’t just technology — they were a platform for a much bigger future. With a $1 lease and a million earth station, Ted Turner took on the networks, the government, and the laws of gravity to beam his local TV station's signal to the entire nation. More From Hi Barr Follow us on ⁠X⁠ + ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠YouTube⁠ + ⁠Linkedin⁠ Sign up for our ⁠newsletter⁠ Email us: ⁠[email protected]⁠  Listen to Hi Barr’s ⁠You Had To Be There⁠ podcast! For business inquiries, please email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Credits Writing, research, and production by Web Barr. Artwork by ⁠Dylan Lathrop⁠. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by ⁠The Podcast Consultant⁠ (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Chapters (00:00): Opening Monologue (08:06): Telstar I Goes Up (13:00): First Live International Broadcast (19:00): How Satellites Work (28:31): HBO Takes the Leap (36:30): AT&T Plays Prevent D (41:10): Ted Joins the Race (1:01:11): Southern Satellite System (1:15:30): WTCG Goes National Sources Books used in Episode 4. Get em here! ⁠It Ain't As Easy As It Looks: Ted Turner's Amazing Story⁠ ⁠Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News⁠ ⁠Ted Turner Speaks: Insights From the World's Greatest Maverick⁠ ⁠Confessions of an Advertising Man⁠ ⁠Lead Follow or Get Out of the Way: The Story of Ted Turner⁠ ⁠Media Man: Ted Turner's Improbable Empire⁠  ⁠Clash of the Titans: How the Unbridled Ambition of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch Has Created Global Empires that Control What We Read & Watch Each Day⁠ ⁠Call Me Ted⁠ ⁠Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the rise of the modern cable-TV business⁠ ⁠Me and Ted Against the World: The Unauthorized Story of the Founding of CNN⁠ Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers Masters of Enterprise: Giants of American Business from John Jacob Astor and J.P. Morgan to Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The Ted Turner Saga | Part 3: The Atlanta Braves & The Sports TV Revolution

  Long before live sports dominated television and drove billions in media rights deals, the televised sports landscape was limited, local, and low-priority. In this episode, we explore how Ted Turner saw something no one else did: that sports weren’t just games — they were powerful, 162-game-long TV shows. And when he turned the worst team in baseball into a programming goldmine for his upstart UHF station, he didn’t just change his channel — he changed the entire business of sports. From the rise of color TV to the birth of cable, Ted Turner saw that sports could be more than entertainment — they could anchor an entire network. When he bought the Atlanta Braves, it wasn’t for wins; it was for airtime. He packed his station with baseball games, outrageous stunts, and a whole lot of personality, turning a last-place team into the South’s favorite pastime. Along the way, he redefined sports ownership, took on the league’s old guard, and helped lay the groundwork for the 24/7 sports era we live in today. This is the wild, unlikely story of how one media maverick turned a struggling team into a national phenomenon — and rewrote the rules of both television and sports in the process. More From Hi Barr Follow us on X + Instagram + YouTube + Linkedin Sign up for our newsletter Email us: [email protected]  Listen to Hi Barr’s You Had To Be There For business inquiries, please email: [email protected] Credits Writing, research, and production by Web Barr. Artwork by Dylan Lathrop. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Chapters (00:00): Opening Monologue (06:05): Factors in the Sports TV Revolution (18:00): TV Hurts Attendance? (22:20): Technology Improves Sports (32:30): Sports Labor Issues Begin (42:30): Ted's WTCG Gets The Braves (56:45): Ted Buys the Braves (1:05:31): Day 1 as Owner (1:19:00): Ted's Home Game Atmosphere (1:36:00): Role of a Sports Commissioner (1:40:06): Free Agency Begins (1:49:00): Channel 17 Andy Messersmith (1:54:50): Hank Aaron Home Run Race (2:00:00): 1976 World Series Party (2:09:14): Ted Suspended (2:22:00): Ted Turner Manages the Braves (2:37:00): Free Agency Frenzy (2:42:00): Satellite Expansion (2:52:00): Professional Sports Sources Books used in Episode 3. Get em here! The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America How to Watch Basketball Like a Genius: What Game Designers, Economists, Ballet Choreographers, and Theoretical Astrophysicists Reveal About the Greatest Game on Earth The New York Times (01/04/1977) It Ain't As Easy As It Looks: Ted Turner's Amazing Story Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News Ted Turner Speaks: Insights From the World's Greatest Maverick Confessions of an Advertising Man Lead Follow or Get Out of the Way: The Story of Ted Turner Media Man: Ted Turner's Improbable Empire  Clash of the Titans: How the Unbridled Ambition of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch Has Created Global Empires that Control What We Read & Watch Each Day Call Me Ted Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the rise of the modern cable-TV business Me and Ted Against the World: The Unauthorized Story of the Founding of CNN Tube of Plenty: The Evolution of American Television Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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