Ted Turner, 1938 – 2026

Swashbuckling media mogul Ted Turner, 87, died on May 6. If he never did anything else, Turner founded Turner Classic Movies, for which I have a small shrine to him in my apartment. He also founded CNN, pretty much setting off the 24-hour news cycle, which I have very divided opinions on. A billboard heir, Turner got into broadcasting with a UHF station in the 1970s, and quickly built his empire (he also owned he Atlanta Braves, and promoted anti-nuke and environmental causes). He was a media figure himself ("If I only had a little humility, I'd be perfect”), with his handsome looks, charming egomania, and marriage to Jane Fonda (he was nicknamed “The Mouth of the South” and “Captain Outrageous”). Turner’s 1980s stab at colorizing old movies briefly made him a villain, but the 1994 launch of the old-movie, commercial-free TCM rehabilitated him and then some. "I think that sense of nostalgia that comes with watching old movies gives people a lot of joy, myself included; and I don't see that changing anytime soon,” he said, adding, “Let's keep showing these movies until the end of time.”