Saying he once had a "sacred trust" with the public, Ted Turner offered an apology Tuesday evening for losing control of CNN and no longer being able to influence how news and information is presented to the world.
Turner, who was awarded the 2006 Delta Prize for Global Understanding by the University of Georgia, shared with the audience his views of the media, Time Warner and the current presidential administration as well as nuclear weapons and the United Nations.
But it was when Turner spoke of the role CNN had played by providing "serious news" in a fair, unbiased way around the world that he made his public apology.
"I had no idea I would lose control of CNN when I merged with Time Warner," Turner said, adding that he could have retained control of the media company he had founded had it not been for the subsequent merger with America Online.
"It was a big mistake to lose control of CNN. I lost control over it, and I lost it a long time ago," Turner said. "And I apologize to everybody. I had a sacred trust there, and I let it get away. I was overconfident. I thought I had done such a good job there was no way they could phase me out."
Turner expressed great disappointment with the way news is presented today, with more focus on the "pervert of the day" than on the issues of the environment, nuclear threats and international affairs, which impact the entire world.
"CNN International still does that to a large degree," Turner said. "CNN here in the United States has gotten a lot more tabloid. In all fairness, we didn't have the competition that they have now."
Speaking wistfully of the past, Turner said CNN was able to overcome initial fears that it would spread American propaganda around the world. It worked hard not to push a pro-American position "like Fox News does."
"We at CNN tried to cover controversial issues as fairly as we could. Whenever there was a disagreement, we would almost always seek a spokesman for both sides. We didn't try to push the viewer to one side or another," Turner said. "That's why CNN was accepted all over the world. It was making a positive contribution to the information store of knowledge, encouraging the better nature of mankind."
In his usual provocative way, Turner also had some critical comments about the Iraqi war and the administration of President Bush.
"We can't afford the war in Iraq. It's a waste of time," Turner said, adding that the United States would be hard-pressed to fight "a real war" with a formidable country like Russia.
"I wish we would say, 'We won and we are going home.' We shouldn't be there. Wars are very ineffective. Bombing people is not the way to change their minds. You do that through education. We shouldn't be starting wars. Big guys shouldn't be starting wars. The little guys should start wars. Then the big guys can tromp all over them."
When talking about the president, Turner mentioned that Bush had only traveled minimally overseas before taking office.
"It was on-the-job training. A lot of mistakes are made when you do that. And this guy has got the nuclear trigger under his finger. He's a reformed alcoholic. There's nothing wrong with that, but sometimes they do slip," Turner said, sparking chuckles from the audience.
Turner said he is spending his time working on conflict resolution, both through the UN Foundation, to which he has pledged $1 billion, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, which aims to reduce the global threat of weapons of mass destruction.
"If you are looking to make friends, they're everywhere," Turner said. "In fact, I can't think of one enemy but [Fox News founder] Rupert Murdoch. One out of 6.5 billion is not too bad."
In contrast, Turner said Bush has made enemies around the world. "The damage is going to take years to repair," he said.
But Turner saved most of his criticism for the news industry, calling much of today's news "superfluous."
"We don't need that on CNN or Headline News," Turner said. "That's one of the main reasons I'm not standing for re-election to the Time Warner board. I just can't take it anymore. I would have a broken heart. And I refuse to let that happen."
Given how nostalgically Turner spoke of his days running CNN, I asked him after the symposium whether he would be interested in buying it back. "I certainly couldn't afford it," he answered.
Meanwhile, the Delta Prize is here to stay. The Delta Air Lines Foundation donated $890,000 to endow the award in the late 1990s, long before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The first Delta Prize was given to former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in 1999. Other honorees have included former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Delta Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein and UGA President Michael Adams presented Turner the prize.
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/business/saporta/stories/0330bizsaport.html
Turner, who was awarded the 2006 Delta Prize for Global Understanding by the University of Georgia, shared with the audience his views of the media, Time Warner and the current presidential administration as well as nuclear weapons and the United Nations.
But it was when Turner spoke of the role CNN had played by providing "serious news" in a fair, unbiased way around the world that he made his public apology.
"I had no idea I would lose control of CNN when I merged with Time Warner," Turner said, adding that he could have retained control of the media company he had founded had it not been for the subsequent merger with America Online.
"It was a big mistake to lose control of CNN. I lost control over it, and I lost it a long time ago," Turner said. "And I apologize to everybody. I had a sacred trust there, and I let it get away. I was overconfident. I thought I had done such a good job there was no way they could phase me out."
Turner expressed great disappointment with the way news is presented today, with more focus on the "pervert of the day" than on the issues of the environment, nuclear threats and international affairs, which impact the entire world.
"CNN International still does that to a large degree," Turner said. "CNN here in the United States has gotten a lot more tabloid. In all fairness, we didn't have the competition that they have now."
Speaking wistfully of the past, Turner said CNN was able to overcome initial fears that it would spread American propaganda around the world. It worked hard not to push a pro-American position "like Fox News does."
"We at CNN tried to cover controversial issues as fairly as we could. Whenever there was a disagreement, we would almost always seek a spokesman for both sides. We didn't try to push the viewer to one side or another," Turner said. "That's why CNN was accepted all over the world. It was making a positive contribution to the information store of knowledge, encouraging the better nature of mankind."
In his usual provocative way, Turner also had some critical comments about the Iraqi war and the administration of President Bush.
"We can't afford the war in Iraq. It's a waste of time," Turner said, adding that the United States would be hard-pressed to fight "a real war" with a formidable country like Russia.
"I wish we would say, 'We won and we are going home.' We shouldn't be there. Wars are very ineffective. Bombing people is not the way to change their minds. You do that through education. We shouldn't be starting wars. Big guys shouldn't be starting wars. The little guys should start wars. Then the big guys can tromp all over them."
When talking about the president, Turner mentioned that Bush had only traveled minimally overseas before taking office.
"It was on-the-job training. A lot of mistakes are made when you do that. And this guy has got the nuclear trigger under his finger. He's a reformed alcoholic. There's nothing wrong with that, but sometimes they do slip," Turner said, sparking chuckles from the audience.
Turner said he is spending his time working on conflict resolution, both through the UN Foundation, to which he has pledged $1 billion, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, which aims to reduce the global threat of weapons of mass destruction.
"If you are looking to make friends, they're everywhere," Turner said. "In fact, I can't think of one enemy but [Fox News founder] Rupert Murdoch. One out of 6.5 billion is not too bad."
In contrast, Turner said Bush has made enemies around the world. "The damage is going to take years to repair," he said.
But Turner saved most of his criticism for the news industry, calling much of today's news "superfluous."
"We don't need that on CNN or Headline News," Turner said. "That's one of the main reasons I'm not standing for re-election to the Time Warner board. I just can't take it anymore. I would have a broken heart. And I refuse to let that happen."
Given how nostalgically Turner spoke of his days running CNN, I asked him after the symposium whether he would be interested in buying it back. "I certainly couldn't afford it," he answered.
Meanwhile, the Delta Prize is here to stay. The Delta Air Lines Foundation donated $890,000 to endow the award in the late 1990s, long before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The first Delta Prize was given to former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in 1999. Other honorees have included former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Delta Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein and UGA President Michael Adams presented Turner the prize.
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/business/saporta/stories/0330bizsaport.html
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