Media Moguls with Web Barr

The Ted Turner Saga | Part 7: CNN - Hour 1. Day 1. Year 1. Decade 1.

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The cameras are rolling, the clock is ticking, and Ted Turner has bet everything he owns on CNN. This episode takes you inside CNN’s first hour, first day, first year, and first decade, from the first broadcast to the first ad, the first breaking news moment, and the first competitors.

We cover the battles that shaped CNN’s early years: lawsuits against the Big 3 and the White House, Reagan’s shooting, major story triumphs and…failures, and the epic showdown with ABC-Westinghouse’s Satellite News Channel, all while CNN fought for relevance and survival. Come along for the ride!


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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
  • (10:32): Pre-Launch
  • (19:30): CNN Launches
  • (25:15): Opening Words
  • (34:00): CNN’s First Commercial
  • (43:00): CNN’s First Misstep
  • (51:30): Las Vegas Fire
  • (54:00): John Lennon Assassination 
  • (1:12:30): Reagan Assassination Attempt
  • (1:52:00): News Competition Emerges 
  • (2:10:00): Ted Plans Counterattack
  • (2:36:49): CNN 2 Launches
  • (2:53:00): SNC Launches 
  • (3:00:00): Cable War Fallout 
  • (3:11:00): CNN News Feed 
  • (3:21:00): On The Next Episode

    • Sources

    Books used in Episode 7. 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

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      Media Moguls with Web BarrBy Hi Barr