John Malone: Ted Turner Thought CNN Had “Lost Its Way”

About this episode

John Malone discusses his friendship with Ted Turner and the evolution of CNN and cable news.

Media titan John Malone joins Michael for a deeply personal conversation about his lifelong friendship with CNN founder Ted Turner, who passed away this week at age 87. Malone shares behind-the-scenes stories about Turner’s rise, his relationships with Jane Fonda and Rupert Murdoch, the birth of CNN, and Turner’s concerns about the future of cable news. The discussion also explores polarization in America, the evolution of 24/7 media, and whether news has become entertainment. Original air date 7 May 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

People in this episode

Host: Michael Smerconish

Guest: John Malone

Topics covered

• media
• cable news
• polarization
• Ted Turner
• CNN history
• 24/7 media
• entertainment

Keywords

• John Malone
• Ted Turner
• CNN
• media evolution
• cable news
• polarization
• entertainment
• 24/7 news

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CNN

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