Avsnitt
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How Ted Turner turned the worst TV station in Atlanta into the launchpad for his media empire.
In Episode 2 of Media Moguls: The Ted Turner Saga, we dive into the chaotic early days of Ted’s first TV station—his bold move to buy a struggling UHF channel in Atlanta called WJRJ (soon renamed WTCG). It was bleeding cash, had barely any viewers, and wasn’t even available on most TVs. So how did he make sure it didn’t just survive… but thrive?
We’ll also explore how cable TV started from pure necessity—built on giant towers and coaxial cable to serve towns the networks ignored. Plus, the fierce resistance cable faced from Hollywood and the Big Three networks—and how Ted zagged while everyone else zigged. With reruns, wrestling, and relentless hustle, he built a scrappy, low-budget station that put viewers first.
This is the story of tenacity, vision, and entrepreneurial insanity that changed television forever.
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For business inquiries, please email: [email protected]
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
(06:31): The Origin Story of Cable
(09:50): Is Cable Disruptive?
(14:40): Pay TV Visions or Hallucinations?
(17:25): Cable Growth Stops
(21:45): Ted's TV Opportunity
(25:20): Local Television Dreams
(27:31): Against All Advice
(29:30): UHF Nightmares
(37:41): Burning Cash
(44:20): Stretching Every Dollar
(50:41): Counter-programming
(57:00): Ted Visits Hollywood
(1:00:00): No Committees
(1:03:00): Programming Strategy
(1:06:49): Georgia Championship Wrestling
(1:09:47): NBC on WTCG
(1:12:00): Netflix Before Netflix
(1:14:26): TV Programming Innovations
(1:17:30): News at 3AM
(1:22:30): Sales
(1:29:00): Working with Ted
(1:33:30): Cable Dreams
(1:40:00): Grand Slam Vision
(1:47:30): On the Next Episode
Sources
Books used in Episode 2. 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
Confessions of an Advertising Man
Lead Follow or Get Out of the Way: The Story of Ted Turner
Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers
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
Tube of Plenty: The Evolution of American Television
Founder Mode (Essay)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Season 1 begins with Ted Turner, the media maverick who revolutionized cable television, news, and sports. But before Turner built his media empire, he was just a young man shaped by ambition, discipline, and tragedy—driven by a relentless need to succeed.
In this debut episode, longtime media operator and host Web Barr unpacks the pivotal moments that set Ted Turner on his path—from a chaotic childhood to selling advertising for his father’s billboard company, and beyond. We also break down the broadcast TV revolution—how the birth of television changed everything, the slow rise of network news, and how a personal tragedy set Turner on his journey to transform media forever.
Media empires aren’t built overnight. They’re forged through ambition, unorthodox thinking, and relentless drive. This is Media Moguls with Web Barr: The Ted Turner Saga.
For More From Hi Barr
Follow us on X + Instagram + YouTube + Linkedin
Sign up for our newsletter
Email us: [email protected]
Listen to Hi Barr’s You Had To Be There
For business inquiries, please email: [email protected]
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
(06:48): Introducing Media Moguls
(08:42): Why Ted Turner
(13:34): Early Childhood - Discipline, Grit, & Hard Work
(25:08): The Birth of Television
(29:40): TV Cities
(33:05): Early Signs of TV Advertising Gold
(34:30): TV Changes Movie Theaters
(36:03): Early Network TV News
(43:00): Hollywood Shifts
(48:18): TV Changes Politics Forever
(50:30): News Doubles From 15 to 30 Minutes
(53:40): Ted Grows Up
(1:01:30): Ted Joins Turner Advertising
(1:05:00): The Deal of a Lifetime Turns Sour
(1:12:05): Tragedy
(1:15:13): Succession
(1:17:20): His Boldest Plan Yet
(1:26:00): Billboard Growth
(1:31:50): Radio Dreams
(1:39:30): Radio Nightmares
(1:41:40): On the Next Episode
Sources
Books used in Episode 1. Get em here!
It Ain't As Easy As It Looks: Ted Turner's Amazing Story
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
Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News
Ted Turner Speaks: Insights From the World's Greatest Maverick
Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the rise of the modern cable-TV business
The Powers That Be
Me and Ted Against the World: The Unauthorized Story of the Founding of CNN
Making News
Leadership in War: Lessons from Those Who Made History
Tube of Plenty: The Evolution of American Television
Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction
Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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They’re risk-takers, rule-breakers, and empire builders. These are the stories of the visionaries who transformed media forever.
In the debut season of Media Moguls, longtime media operator Web Barr takes you inside the rise of one of the most daring and unconventional figures in media history—Ted Turner.
Media Moguls: The Ted Turner Saga begins on March 19, 2025.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
