Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav paid tribute to Ted Turner in a memo to staff on Wednesday, calling the cable pioneer a “visionary,” “trailblazer” and “foundational force” behind many of the company’s brands.
“Ted’s entrepreneurial spirit, creative ambition and willingness to take risks changed the media industry forever,” Zaslav wrote. “He believed deeply in the power of ideas, in doing things differently and in building platforms that could inform, inspire and connect people around the world. That belief inspired generations of leaders, myself included. He did not just disrupt media. He transformed it.”
He noted that CNN “fundamentally changed how the world experiences history in real time” despite many questioning the logic of its launch in 1980. Zaslav also praised Turner for helping to redefine sports television through the launch of TNT in 1988 and ensuring that “great films and the history of cinema would be preserved and celebrated” with the founding of Turner Classic Movies in 1994.
Additionally, Zaslav reflected on meeting Turner following the closing of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger in April 2022, where the pair discussed opportunities, challenges, stewarding the company’s brands and the “need to keep innovating in a constantly changing world.”
“Ted’s influence is woven throughout Warner Bros. Discovery. The brands he built and championed remain central to who we are, and they continue to reflect his belief in creative risk, cultural impact and global reach,” he added. “Through CNN, TCM, Turner Sports and across our portfolio, his vision remains present in the work our teams do every day.”
The memo comes after Turner died Wednesday at the age of 87.
In 2018, Turner publicly shared his Lewy body dementia diagnosis, though an official cause of death has not been confirmed. He is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Zaslav expressed condolences to Turner’s family as well as the colleagues and partners whose lives and careers where shaped by his vision.
“It is our responsibility to honor and carry forward the legacy he built,” the memo concluded. “I’m grateful for his courage, his imagination and the lasting mark he leaves on Warner Bros. Discovery and the world.”
