Robert Edward Turner III, more commonly known as philanthropist and cable TV network CNN founder Ted Turner, has been hospitalized in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The 75-year-old media tycoon owns property in the Patagonia region of Argentina. On Friday morning, Turner went to the nearby San Carlos Sanatorium in the city of Bariloche, complaining of acute abdominal pain. He then took a jet and set off for Buenos Aires to receive treatment at the Argentine Institute for Diagnosis and Treatment in Barrio Norte. He is currently under observation, and Argentine media sources say Turner will have to undergo an operation for appendicitis.
Phillip Evans, the spokesman for Turner Enterprises, confirmed in a statement that Turner has been admitted for observation, but they will not provide further details on Turner’s personal health, in view of the company’s policy.
Born in Ohio, Turner and his family moved to Georgia when he was nine, and he attended a private prep school for boys in Tennessee. Turner went on to study the Classics and later on Economics at Brown University. When he was 24, he became the president and CEO of the Turner Advertising Company after his father’s death. He expanded the business, purchasing an Atlanta UHF station in 1970 and establishing the Turner Broadcasting System. He created the Cable News Network or CNN ten years later, and it became the world’s first 24-hour cable news channel.
Turner’s media empire includes MGM, Turner Entertainment Co., Turner Network Television, Turner Classic Movies, and the Cartoon Network. He also created the Turner Foundation, which concentrated on giving grants for environmental conservation. He was the man behind the animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, and most of his assets are devoted to environmental causes. He now focuses on charity and green initiatives, with many projects dealing with the fight against climate change.
Turner was named Time Magazine’s Man of the Year in 1991, the first time a media figure was given the honor. He was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in the same year.
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