SOUTH GEORIGA (WALB) - Ted Turner, the billionaire media pioneer who founded CNN and helped reshape the modern cable news industry, has died at the age of 87.

Turner, widely known for building one of the most influential media empires in history, also maintained deep ties to South Georgia through his extensive land holdings and conservation efforts.

Among his properties was the nearly 9,000-acre Nonami Plantation near Albany, Georgia, which he acquired around 2010. The estate was known as a premier quail hunting property and was managed with a strong focus on environmental stewardship and wildlife conservation, particularly efforts to restore longleaf pine habitats and support sustainable quail populations.

>> READ MORE: South Georgia remembers Ted Turner’s legacy at his Dougherty County estate <<

Turner’s Georgia holdings reflected his broader commitment to land preservation. His properties across the Southeast emphasized habitat restoration and conservation practices, blending commercial hunting operations with ecological management.

In addition to his business and environmental legacy, Turner was also closely tied to professional sports, including the Atlanta Braves. The organization released a statement honoring his impact, calling him “a brilliant businessman, consummate showman and passionate fan of his beloved Braves.”

“Ted’s visionary leadership innovative approach to broadcast television transformed the Braves into ‘America’s Team,’” the statement read. “Under his stewardship, the ballclub experienced one of the greatest runs of sustained excellence in Major League Baseball history and brought a World Series championship to Atlanta in 1995.”

The Braves also noted Turner’s philanthropy and global generosity, saying his influence extended far beyond sports and media.

Turner’s death marks the end of an era for broadcasting, sports, and conservation, leaving behind a legacy that stretched from global newsrooms to the forests and fields of South Georgia.

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