Media Moguls with Web Barr

Today, Ted Turner passed away at the age of 87.

In this special episode of Media Moguls, I reflect on the life, legacy, and incredible impact of one of the most important media figures in history.

From transforming a struggling Atlanta UHF TV station into the national Superstation TBS via the satellite… to launching CNN and creating the 24/7 news cycle… to revolutionizing sports broadcasting through his Atlanta Braves, Ted Turner repeatedly saw the future before anyone else and capitalized on it.

I've also revisted some of my favorite Ted Turner quotes and stories to better explain just who Ted was.

Ted Turner wasn’t just a media mogul. He was a force of nature.

Rest easy, Ted.
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After 10 episodes, nearly 30 hours of audio, and three years of work, the final chapter of Media Moguls: The Ted Turner Saga is here.

In the 1990s, the media world went big, and Ted Turner knew he had to keep up. Despite building CNN into a global force and launching TNT, Cartoon Network, and more, Turner Broadcasting was still too small for a rapidly consolidating industry.

After failed attempts to buy or merge with ABC, NBC, and CBS, Ted made the biggest move of his career: selling to Time Warner.

It worked… until it didn’t.

This episode breaks down the deals, the strategy, and the moment when the ultimate media outsider chose to join the establishment, and what it cost him.

From there, we follow what happened next, how it looked like a success, and how it slowly unraveled.

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For business inquiries, please email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@hibarrmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

(0:20:23): State of 90s Media

(0:41:00): Ted + ABC

(1:14:00): Ted + NBC

(1:30:00): Media MergerMania

(1:51:00): Ted Time Warner

(2:10:00): Fallout

(2:40:00): Ted vs. Murdoch

(3:05:00): Ted's Influence at TW

(3:26:00): AOL Time Warner

Sources

Books used in Episode 11. 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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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

⁠⁠Three Blind Mice⁠

⁠Born to Be Wired

Fools Rush In: Steve Case, Jerry Levin, and the Unmaking of AOL Time Warner

The Highwaymen (Auletta)

The Rise and Fall of WCW

Nitro

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In the wake of his MGM gamble and cable bailout, Ted Turner was not just fighting to survive. He was building.

As CNN cemented its global authority covering the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the Gulf War in Iraq, Turner used MGM’s massive film library as fuel for expansion. Out of that library came TNT, Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, and more, transforming Turner Broadcasting into a cable powerhouse.

But bold moves brought controversy, including the battles over film colorization and growing tension with his own partners. This episode is about survival, reinvention, and how Ted turned crisis into a media empire.

More From Hi Barr

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Sign up for our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@hibarrmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Listen to Hi Barr’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You Had To Be There⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast!

For business inquiries, please email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@hibarrmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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): Bailout!

(1:00:48): TNT

(1:28:00): Colorization

(1:45:00): Time Warner

(1:56:00): CNN Rises

(2:10:45): CNN in Iraq

(2:45:00): Fall of USSR

(2:55:00): Cartoon Network

(3:05:00): Grow or Die

Sources

Books used in Episode 10. 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

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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

⁠⁠Three Blind Mice⁠

⁠Born to Be Wired

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1985, fresh off his failed bid for CBS, Ted Turner faced his own Rubicon moment. He could double down on a bigger, more cash-heavy hostile network takeover, or walk away and chase something even bigger and riskier. When billionaire dealmaker Kirk Kerkorian offered him MGM in a lightning-fast, all-cash deal, Ted pivoted to Hollywood, betting everything on the hidden value of film libraries and the future of cable. What followed was one of the riskiest acquisitions in media history, fueled by junk bonds, ambition, and instinct, and it would reshape Turner Broadcasting while nearly destroying it.

More From Hi Barr

Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up for our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@hibarrmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Listen to Hi Barr’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You Had To Be There⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast!

For business inquiries, please email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@hibarrmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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): Ted's Rubicon Moment

(06:48): Kirk Kerkorian + MGM

(28:00): Why MGM

(50:00): Kerkorian's Offer

(1:06:00): Michael Milken 101

(1:50:00): Inside the Deal

(2:20:00): Debt Nightmares

Sources

Books used in Episode 9. 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

⁠Triumph of the Yuppies⁠

⁠Three Blind Mice

The Predators’ Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders

The Gambler: How Penniless Dropout Kirk Kerkorian Became the Greatest Deal Maker in Capitalist History

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the early 1980s, Ted Turner had built CNN from scratch, taken his Superstation nationwide, and outlasted the networks’ counterattacks. But there was still one thing he didn’t have — a broadcast network.

In this episode, we follow Ted Turner’s audacious bid to buy CBS and how his network dream became possible in a new Wall Street era fueled by Reaganomics, deregulation, junk bonds, and corporate raiders.

From secret meetings with CBS executives to the rise of the Yuppies, this episode’s got it all — connecting the dots between media, money, and power, and showing how Ted Turner’s takeover attempt helped shape not just television, but modern media itself.

More From Hi Barr

Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sign up for our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@hibarrmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Listen to Hi Barr’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You Had To Be There⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast!

For business inquiries, please email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@hibarrmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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): Bonfire of the Networks

(11:15): Fourth Network Dreams

(20:00): Reagan’s Eighties

(39:00): Cable’s Rise

(49:00): Ted’s Sports Network

(54:00): Ted’s MTV Competitor

(1:12:00): Cable’s Limitations

(1:24:00): Networks in 1984

(1:37:00): ABC + Cap Cities

(1:52:00): Ted Prepares His CBS Bid

(2:24:00): Ted Announces CBS Bid

(2:49:00): War

(3:15:00): Onto the Next Deal

Sources

Books used in Episode 8. 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

Triumph of the Yuppies

Three Blind Mice

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices