Ted Turner, the media pioneer who revolutionized television by creating CNN and the 24-hour news cycle, died Wednesday at his home near Tallahassee, Florida. He was 87. The brash entrepreneur founded the Cable News Network in 1980, fundamentally changing how Americans consumed news and inspiring every major news outlet to adopt round-the-clock coverage.

Turner's empire extended far beyond news. He built TBS and TNT, purchased the MGM film library for $1.5 billion in 1985, launched Turner Classic Movies and the Cartoon Network, and owned the Atlanta Braves. In 1996, he merged Turner Broadcasting with Time Warner to create one of the world's largest media companies. His willingness to bet millions on untested cable and satellite technology repeatedly pushed him to the edge of bankruptcy before yielding billions.

His philanthropy was equally bold — donating $1 billion to the United Nations and acquiring two million acres of wilderness as nature preserves, making him the fourth-largest private landowner in America. Even rivals like Rupert Murdoch conceded his unprecedented influence on mass media. Turner leaves behind a transformed news industry and a cable landscape that still bears his imprint.