Here’s To You, Ted Turner

Keith’s note: Keith’s note: There are lots of CNN stories being told this morning. Ted Turner has left us. But he’s still here. CNN gave him a window into the world and he sought to bring that window to everyone, everywhere. He also cared passionately about peace and our home world’s environment and donated billions to back that up. He was one of a kind. Here’s my story. In August 1980 I was still working for Gov. Jerry Brown’s presidential campaign. We were at the Democratic National Convention in NYC. I was sitting in our campaign suite in the Waldorf Astoria and someone from CNN called. I sort of knew who they were. They had only been on the air for a few weeks. They wanted Jerry on their air. I said that we were aiming for ‘larger’ audiences. They said “but we’re on [was it twenty?] cable systems”. I asked where their booth was in Madison Square Garden. It was way, way up in the cheap seats. I recall saying something like “so you’re up there with AM radio, yes?” and The CNN guy said “yea its really cheap up here and we have a great view”. Ted Turner had been personally working the assembled delegates and candidates to get them on air. I saw him doing that in a hotel lobby. CNN was often the underdog and they always tried harder. Oh yes – then there was the time my good friend Miles O’Brien and I were covering a shuttle launch on the Fourth of July. Suddenly North Korea launched a bunch of missiles toward Japan we had to do 30 minutes of on-air seat of the pants coverage until the military guys showed up in the green room after being pulled out of their holiday picnics. No one else was covering this. We were. Fun times. I have been on CNN over 50 times. I am clearly a fan. It is my favorite network. And it is what it is because of Ted Turner’s vision. Thanks for inviting me over to chat Ted – with all of your great journalists.