Making the News - Ted Turner and CNN | Two Giant Egos | 1

Summary

Business Movers Podcast Summary

Episode: Making the News - Ted Turner and CNN | Two Giant Egos | 1
Release Date: March 13, 2025
Host: Lindsey Graham
Production: Wondery

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Introduction: The Making of a Mogul

In the premiere episode of Business Movers, host Lindsey Graham delves into the dynamic and tumultuous journey of Ted Turner and the creation of CNN, the world's first 24-hour news channel. This episode, titled "Making the News - Ted Turner and CNN | Two Giant Egos | 1," explores the ambitious vision, relentless drive, and the significant challenges faced by Turner and his key partner, Reece Schoenfeld, in transforming the American news landscape.

Ted Turner's Vision and Early Success

The episode opens with a vivid reenactment of Ted Turner's victory in the 1977 America's Cup at Newport Marina, Rhode Island. At 38, Turner celebrates his triumph with exuberance, highlighting his competitive nature and refusal to accept failure. This scene sets the stage for understanding Turner's larger-than-life persona and his relentless pursuit of success.

At [00:28], Turner remarks, "It's all in the boat's name. Courageous. That's what got us over the line." This quote encapsulates his belief in bravery and strategic intelligence over mere speed—an ethos he would later apply to his media ventures.

Partnering with Reece Schoenfeld: A Strategic Alliance

Ted Turner recognized that launching a 24-hour news channel was an unprecedented endeavor that required expertise beyond his own capabilities. Enter Reece Schoenfeld, a seasoned television newsman with over two decades of experience. Their partnership was fraught with tension from the outset, primarily due to Turner's notorious arrogance and Schoenfeld's pragmatic approach.

At [07:46], Lindsey Graham narrates, "Reese was convinced that he had the talent and experience to pull it off. But then, Reese began to have second thoughts." This hesitation was rooted in Turner's difficult personality and the immense pressure of pioneering a new media format.

Building CNN: Overcoming Technical and Financial Challenges

The late 1970s marked a period of significant innovation in television, with cable TV expanding rapidly thanks to advancements like the RCA communications satellite launched in 1975. Turner saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the market—news—which was underserved compared to established niches like movies and sports.

The creation of CNN required substantial investment. By May 1979, Turner and Schoenfeld estimated a $20 million launch cost, followed by monthly expenses of $2-3 million. To finance this, Turner liquidated his North Carolina television station and secured initial commitments from advertisers, notably Bristol Myers, which agreed to a $10 million advertising deal targeting the over-60 demographic.

However, Turner’s overambitious subscriber targets—aiming for 3 million subscriptions from a then-16 million cable households—proved overly optimistic. By spring 1980, with only 1.7 million subscribers, Turner faced potential financial shortfalls that threatened to derail the launch.

The Satellite Saga: A Battle for Broadcast Infrastructure

A critical moment unfolded at [19:29], when Turner discovered that Satcom 3, the satellite tasked with broadcasting CNN, had gone missing shortly after reaching orbit. In a heated confrontation with RCA executives, Turner’s combative nature came to the fore. At [19:54], he demanded, "I want my spot, you got that? I'm spending hundreds of thousands of dollars every day on this."

Refusing to accept a delay, Turner threatened legal action, ultimately securing a spot on Satcom 1. This victory was pivotal, demonstrating Turner's unwavering determination to see CNN launched despite significant obstacles.

Assembling the CNN Team: Innovation Amidst Constraints

With the satellite issue resolved, Schoenfeld focused on building a competent team under tight budget constraints. Early hires included Schoenfeld’s wife, Pat O'Gorman, and seasoned journalist Burt Reinhart. Additionally, rebellious reporter Ted Kavanaugh was brought on board, embodying the "maverick" spirit Turner envisioned for CNN.

CNN's operations were unconventional. Schoenfeld implemented digital technologies early on, setting CNN apart from traditional, paper-reliant newsrooms. This included the use of videotape over celluloid film and digital teleprompters, laying the groundwork for CNN's modern news delivery methods.

Securing Advertisers and the Subscriber Challenge

Ted Turner's strategy hinged on intertwining advertising revenue with subscriber growth. At [15:09], Graham explains, "So to fund the new venture, Ted Turner sold the television station he owned in North Carolina."

Turner aggressively marketed CNN, leveraging his media savvy to attract advertisers even as subscriber numbers lagged. When CNN was on the brink of falling short of its subscriber target, Turner cleverly navigated the crisis by offering advertisers additional slots, effectively compensating for the lower-than-expected subscriptions. This maneuver secured the necessary advertising revenue, ensuring CNN's financial viability ahead of its June 1, 1980 launch.

Final Preparations and Launch Hurdles

As CNN neared its launch, the team faced logistical challenges, including unfinished studios and technical glitches. At [30:45], a dramatization depicts executive Ted Kavanaugh motivating his exhausted team, "We built a studio, we built a team. We built a new way of delivering the news."

CNN also established multiple bureaus in major cities to manage the 24-hour news cycle efficiently. This decentralized approach was innovative, allowing continuous coverage without overburdening a single team or location.

The final hurdle before launch day was securing compelling content. With NBC unwilling to share live footage of President Jimmy Carter visiting Vernon Jordan in the hospital, Schoenfeld and Turner were forced to innovate quickly to ensure CNN's maiden broadcast would make a strong impact.

Conclusion: Setting the Stage for a News Revolution

By May 31, 1980, despite numerous setbacks, CNN was poised to launch. The episode concludes with the team ready to go live, highlighting the culmination of Turner's vision and Schoenfeld's strategic execution. The tension underscores the high stakes and the transformative potential CNN held for American media.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted Turner [00:28]: "It's all in the boat's name. Courageous. That's what got us over the line."
• Reese Schoenfeld [07:48]: "It can and I am."
• Ted Turner [19:55]: "I'm spending hundreds of thousands of dollars every day on this. I've had people leave their jobs, good jobs, to be a part of CNN."
• Ted Turner [21:42]: "For every drop of blood I spill, I guarantee you'll lose a barrel."

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Looking Ahead: The Next Episode

In the subsequent episode, Business Movers will continue to chronicle how Reese Schoenfeld and Ted Turner navigated the final moments before CNN's launch, transforming the fledgling network from a risky gamble into America's primary source of breaking news. Expect insights into the first broadcasts, the team's resilience in the face of adversity, and the early successes that cemented CNN's place in the media landscape.

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Recommended Further Reading:

• Me and Ted against the World by Rhys Schoenfeld
• Mediaman by Ken Ouletta
• The Inside Story by Hank Wittemore

Credits:

• Host: Lindsey Graham
• Executive Producers: William Simpson, Aaron O'Flaherty, Jenny Lauer Beckman, Marshall Louie
• Audio Editing: Mohammed Shazeeb
• Sound Design: Molly Bach, Matthew Fillan
• Written and Researched by: Owen Paul Nichols
• Senior Producer: Scott Reeves

Transcript

[Lindsey Graham]

Want to get more from business movers? Subscribe to Wondery for early access to new episodes, ad free listening and exclusive content you can't find anywhere else. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on apple podcasts.

[Ted Turner]

It's September 18, 1977 at Newport Marina in Rhode Island. 38 year old millionaire Ted Turner pops the cork on a bottle of champagne. It sails through the air and lands in the water beside his sleek 40 foot racing yacht. Ted then turns to the crowd that's gathered on the dock and punches his fist in the air. Ted has just claimed victory in the America's cup, the most prestigious sailing competition in the world. Three years ago, Ted lost out in the trials that selected the representative from the usa. But Ted didn't let that failure get him down. Instead he tried again and this year was chosen to lead the American crew. Now Ted has claimed a 40 sweep of his Australian opponent to win the ultimate prize in sailing. Ted holds the champagne bottle in the air as photographers take his picture for tomorrow's paper. Then a reporter pushes to the front of the crowd. Ted. Ted, you have a moment? I'm from the West Australia. Oh, the losing side. Sure. Ted takes a swig of champagne and wipes his mustache with the back of his hand. Oh, forgive me. You want some? No, I'm alright. But congratulations, Ted. Winning today's race by 2 minutes 25 seconds. That caps a comprehensive victory. You must be delighted. Yeah, last time didn't go my way. But you know I don't take no for an answer. I wanted to prove everyone wrong and I think I've done that. Gave your boys a proper beatdown, didn't I? You picked up the wind shift at the end of that first leg, so. Well, it's something you've done throughout the competition. Thank you. Thank you. But some people have said your victory is more down to your new sails. Oh yeah? Who's saying that? Someone who lost? No, just talk around the club here. Safe to say you don't agree? No, I don't. What do you think the key difference was out there then? Well, it's all in the boat's name. Courageous. That's what got us over the line. Was our boat the fastest? Maybe, maybe not. If this were just about speed, it'd be a coin flip between us and Uazis. But sailing is not about speed, it's about smarts. And I'm not about to let some yacht club stiff tell me otherwise. Yacht club stiff? Well, it is fair to say that you haven't seen eye to eye with everyone here. Ah, they're just jealous. I mean, look at me. Business, boats, women. What can't I do? It's true. You're already a media mogul, a sports team owner, a multi millionaire. Yeah, if only I had a little humility, I'd be perfect. But now you've won the most prestigious prize in competitive sailing, too. So what's next for Ted Turner? Ted holds the champagne bottle in the air. Well, first I'm gonna drink the rest of this, and then maybe a bottle or two more. Yeah, but after that, who knows? Who knows? Maybe I'll find some rum. Ted Turner had faced hostility when he first stepped into the exclusive and insular world of the Americas Cup. His critics called him the mouth from the South. But he fought hard to prove those naysayers. WR succeeded. It was the kind of battle he would have to fight again and again over the next few years. Because now that Ted had successfully conquered the world of sailing, he would turn his attention to another quest. Launching a television channel. One that would transform how Americans consume the news forever.

[Lindsey Graham]

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[Ted Turner]

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[Lindsey Graham]

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[Ted Turner]

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[Reese Schoenfeld]

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[Ted Turner]

From Wondery I'm Lindsey Graham and this is business members. Today, the television news channel Cable News Network, or CNN, is beamed into over 68 million homes in the United States of America alone. Its website is one of the most visited in the world. And while CNN now trails rivals Fox News and MSNBC in overall ratings, the US Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in June of 2024 was the most watched show in the network's entire 44 year history. It's now almost impossible to imagine a world without 247 news channels. But back in the late 1970s, the idea was a revolutionary one. None of America's established major networks dared to take on such an expensive and technically challenging project. But one man was convinced that there was an unmet demand for a channel that made news. The star, Ted Turner, was a multimillionaire from Georgia who had turned the advertising business he'd inherited from his father into a regional media empire. He had deep pockets and endless self confidence. But Ted couldn't do it all alone. What he needed was a partner who could rein in his excesses and convert his seemingly impossible demands into reality. And the perfect man for the job was seasoned television newsman Reece Schoenfeld. Ted and Reese's partnership was a rollercoaster that veered from crisis to crisis before eventually imploding. But along the way, it transformed American television. Together, they would usher in a new era in journalism, politics and culture in the United States that would have ramifications far beyond the newsroom. This is the first episode in our four part series on the birth of two giant egos. It's November 1978. In the editing rooms of the Independent Television News association in New York City. A year after Ted Turner's victory in the Americas Cup. 47 year old producer Reece Schoenfeld rewinds a tape of a segment that a junior editor has put together for the evening show. As an experienced newsman, Reese has a sharp eye for what his audience wants. And as he reviews the tape, he.

[Lindsey Graham]

Notes down a list of changes for.

[Ted Turner]

The editor to make. When the telephone on his desk begins to ring, Reese picks up the receiver. Yeah, Reese Schoenfeld. Hey, Reese, remember me? Reese has only met Ted Turner once, but everyone in the TV business knows who Ted is. And Reese would recognize his distinctive Southern drawl anywhere. Well, it's either Ted Turner or someone doing a damn fine impression of him. No, it's me, the one and only. And I'll prove it. What was the last thing I said to you at that? Dull as hell. Conference in Atlanta. Well, if I recall right, I was trying to convince you to carry our local news on your TV station and you said. I said no. No, because I hate news. Well, you probably also threw a curse word or two in there as well, but yeah, that's about right. So I guess it is you. What can I do for you, Mr. Turner? Well, Reese, given that prior conversation, you may not believe it, but I want to launch a dedicated news channel. 15 hours a day. No fluff, no filler, just news. Yeah, that's a heck of a change of heart. Well, don't get too excited. I still hate news. But look, cable is the future of tv. And I think you know that. There's a land rush underway. HBO's already got the movies. There's a new channel called ESPN, only sports. So what does that leave me with? I think it leaves me with the news. And I might not like it. In fact, I hate it. But I want it. So here's the deal. I've got two questions for you and I want you to listen close. Number one, can this be done? Number two, are you the guy to pull it off? Reese doesn't hesitate. It can and I am. Well, that's good enough for me. How soon can you be in Atlanta? We've got a hell of a lot to do. At first, Reese Schoenfeld was excited about the prospect of a dedicated news channel. Nothing like it had been done before, but he was convinced that he had the talent and experience to pull it off. But then, Reece began to have second thoughts. There was a reason why everyone in the TV industry knew who Ted Turner was. He was certainly a visionary, but he was also notoriously arrogant, outspoken and rude. So as Reece packed his things and headed for Georgia, only time would tell if his partnership with Ted would be a dream team or a disaster. Ever since televisions became common in American homes in the 1950s, what people watched had been dominated by just three. ABC, NBC and CBS. These so called big three controlled programming decisions, production and scheduling. But as time passed, not everyone was convinced that the American television landscape suited the evolving needs of the nation. By the 1970s, Ted Turner had soured on the big three networks. He believed they broadcast violent and vulgar shows that corrupted the youth of America. Instead, Ted was a fan of classic movies and family friendly cartoons. Shows that weren't loaded with crime or sex. Ted was far from the only critic of American television at the time. But unlike most others, he was in a position to do something about it. After inheriting his father's billboard advertising business. In March 1963, Ted had set about diversifying the company. He bought five local radio stations based in the southern United States. But then, in 1969, Ted sold them and moved into television. He bought two struggling independent stations. Channel 17, WJRJ in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, and Channel 38, WRET broadcasting out of Charlotte, North Carolina. The dawn of the 1970s was a good time to enter the television industry. A new innovation was emerging that promised to radically expand choice for American cable tv. The big three networks were broadcast through the air via radio waves received by an antenna. In contrast, cable television was transmitted to people's homes through copper wires, and TV sets that were hooked up to cable could receive more channels from further away. So soon, Ted's new stations were available to viewers not just in Atlanta or Charlotte, but across neighboring states as well. But cable wasn't the only new development changing television in the 1970s. In 1975, the Radio Corporation of America launched a communications satellite that could beam TV signals to cable hubs across the nation. Now, with this step forward, even small TV stations like Ted's would no longer be restricted to broadcasting only in their local regions, meaning they could be viewed anywhere in America. That would enable Ted to sign up more subscribers and charge companies more to advertise to them. And in a sign of his determination to expand, Ted renamed his business, and the Turner advertising company became the Turner Broadcasting system. But beaming his existing television stations across the United States wasn't going to be enough to challenge the big three. Ted needed to find an underexploited gap in the market. And in 1978, he found one. Ted realized that HBO was going to dominate cable when it came to movies. New England startup ESPN was gearing up to do the same for sports, but no channel specialized in delivering the news. Ted was no fan of the news himself, and he had no experience in producing it. So if he was going to launch a dedicated news channel, he would need the help of an expert. Ted's choice was Rhys Schoenfeld, who had worked in news for more than two decades and was immediately intrigued by Ted's proposal. He knew that the idea was a groundbreaking one, because in the 1970s, television news was made according to a rigid format. Producers, anchors, and executives met every morning to discuss the major stories in the newspapers and on the Associated Press wire. Then they decided what stories should be shown on the evening news before spending the rest of the day preparing for broadcast at 7pm this meant that time could be taken to explore stories in more depth and from different perspectives. But this traditional format also meant that viewers had to wait until the evening to receive any updates on the day's events. And since only the big three networks produced news shows and they all did it in the same way, it made little difference whether a viewer tuned into abc, NBC or cbs. The end result was very similar. Reece Schoenfeld thought he could change that. So he didn't need to think long before agreeing to Ted's proposal. But he did have one request. Reece knew from experience that the news never stopped. There was always something happening somewhere in the world, even if most Americans were asleep at the time. So Reese suggested that the news channel not be restricted to transmission during America's daytime. Instead, he wanted it to be on the air 24 hours a day. People close to Ted Turner advised him that this was a horrible idea. A 24 hour news channel was not like buying a radio station or a sports team which were part of well established industries. A dedicated news channel like this had never been tried before and no one knew if there was an audience for it. But after much thought, Ted decided to go for it. In May 1979, he and Reese signed a contract. Reese was to be CEO and president of the venture and Ted would pay the bills, of which there would be plenty. Ted and Reece calculated that it would take $20 million just to launch the channel, and an additional two to three million dollars every month to keep it on the air. In the first year alone, Ted stood to lose the equivalent of 160 million in today's money.

[Lindsey Graham]

So to fund the new venture, Ted.

[Ted Turner]

Sold the television station he owned in North Carolina. But even with that cash on hand, Ted knew that he was gambling his fortune and he wanted the new channel on air as soon as possible. So just a few days after signing the contract with Reese, Ted announced that his 24 hour news channel would launch on June 1, 1980. Its name would be the Cable News Network, or CNN. This announcement meant Reese had just one year to get the channel ready. He got to work immediately. First, he needed to build a team. Among his earliest hires was his own wife, Pat O'Gorman. Pat was a CBS editor known for her work on Peabody Award winning documentaries. And she was soon joined by another familiar face. Reese's former boss at Movietone, Burt Reinhart. Burt was an old hand with years of experience and he joined CNN as its new Vice president. Reese's next hire was a little more unconventional, conventional. Ted Kavanaugh was an old school investigative reporter known as Mad Dog. He was a heavy drinker and so paranoid he was said to carry a pistol on his ankle at all times. But Reese hoped that Kavanaugh's maverick ways would be a good fit for a trailblazing organization like CNN and made him director of personnel. But Reece didn't have the budget to hire only news veterans. So after selecting his top team, Reese went in search of younger, cheaper reporters and studio crew to fill out the rest of his staff. Some had worked at places like CBS, others were new to the TV industry entirely. But six months after Ted Turner's announcement, the world's first 24 hour news channel was beginning to come together. Ted had found his right hand man in Rhys Schoenfeld, and Reese had assembled a crew he thought had the experience and talent to produce nonstop news. But for CNN to truly launch successfully, their first needed be a launch of a different kind. CNN would have to be beamed across America from space, and Ted had secured a spot on a new communications satellite that was scheduled for blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida in early December 1979. But when the satellite malfunctioned almost as soon as it reached orbit, Ted would need to act fast. Otherwise his dream of 24 hour news would quickly come crashing down.

[Lindsey Graham]

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[Ted Turner]

Stakes world like this.

[Lindsey Graham]

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[Mary Alice Williams]

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[Lindsey Graham]

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[Ted Turner]

It's January 1980 at the offices of the Radio Corporation in America in New York City. Six months after Ted Turner announced his 24 hour news channel, CNN. Ted fidgets impatiently as he rides an elevator to the top floor. He's a bundle of angry, nervous energy and with good reason. Three months ago, Ted signed a deal.

[Lindsey Graham]

With RCA for room on its new.

[Ted Turner]

Satellite Satcom 3, which would enable Ted.

[Lindsey Graham]

To beam his new news channel into.

[Ted Turner]

Millions of American homes. But just days after launch, Satcom 3 disappeared. And that leaves Ted with no way to broadcast cnn. The elevator finally reaches the top floor and Ted storms out. He marches down the hallway and bursts into a conference room where an RCA executive and two lawyers are hunched over paperwork. How the heck do you lose a satellite? The RCA executive jumps at the sound of ted's booming voice. Mr. Turnip, please come in. I'm already in. One of the lawyers hurriedly shuts the door as the RCA executive tries to explain what's happened to Satcom 3. Now I understand this looks bad, but the satellite isn't looking loss. It's just temporarily untraceable. Oh my God, that's a joke. You trying to be funny? What kind of two bit operation are you running here? I assure you we are making every effort to regain communications with the satellite. Our engineers are working on it right now. They should have an update for us any moment. Look, I don't give a damn about your engineers. I want space on another satellite. I want CNN on Satcom 1. Mr. Turner, we can't just give you space on another satellite. It wouldn't be fair to the other users of Satcom 3. They have just as much right. I don't give a rat's ass about the other users. I want my spot, you got that? I'm spending hundreds of thousands of dollars every day on this. I've had people leave their jobs, good jobs, to be a part of CNN. And I've got another 150 people joining in the next 90 days. How can they work for a TV channel if no one's going to see it? Mr. Turner, I understand your frustration, I do. But let's just wait for the engineer's report. There is really, really nothing that can be done right now. Sure there is. I can sue you. The lawyers beside the executive snapped to attention, and Ted grins. Oh, I figured that. Get your interest, Mr. Turner, let's not do anything hasty. Oh, my God.

[Lindsey Graham]

Hasty?

[Ted Turner]

You know how many times I've heard that legal action would only hurt the both of us? Yeah, but for every drop of blood I spill, I guarantee you'll lose a barrel. I'm getting on that satellite one way or another. After this confrontation, Ted Turner made good on his threat, and the dispute was soon in the hands of lawyers. After days of torturous negotiation in early 1980, both sides eventually came to a deal, and it was a victory for Ted. He gleefully announced to the press that RCA had backed down and he'd secured a space for CNN on Satcom 1. Ted was victorious in his battle, and now it was Rhys Schoenfeld's job to make sure this satellite had something to transmit. While Ted Turner was embroiled in his fight with rca, Rhys Schoenfeld continued to mold his team at CNN headquarters. He was determined that his news channel would do things differently, and not just by staying on the air 24 hours a day. Reese wanted to reinvent television news from top to bottom, and he called this new approach the CNN way. This vision was imparted to each new hire with a manual given to them on their first day of work. The document told staff that CNN would start a new ball game, putting on news where the networks will be putting on entertainment. Reese's manifesto ended with the words, television will never be the same again. Welcome to the great adventure. But to look around CNN's makeshift office in Atlanta, any new adventurers could be forgiven for thinking they'd made a mistake. Budgets were tight. The big three networks were spending the modern equivalent of nearly half a billion dollars a year on their news programming. But Ted Turner wanted CNN to run on less than a third of that, so Reese had to cut corners. CNN's first headquarters was a ramshackle building where desks were often little more than planks of wood laid across filing cabinets. And the people behind those desks weren't paid much either. But while the office was cheap and the staff low paid, there was one area where Riis did not cut equipment and technology. At the end of the 1970s, most newsrooms ran on systems that hadn't been changed much since the early days of radio. Almost everything was still paper based, even the teleprompters. But CNN was a new organization without traditions to respect or a workforce that would resist change. Riis could run the show in whatever way he wanted. So under his supervision, CNN adopted pioneering digital technology. While many companies still recorded news reports on celluloid film, Reese would use modern videotape on screen. Graphics would be a central part of the CNN look too. And the channel's anchors would be expected to read the news from digital teleprompters. And even these anchors would be different too. Reese didn't want to hire people who could simply read well. Since CNN would be on air 24 hours a day, a news story could break at any moment. So Reese wanted knowledgeable reporters who'd be comfortable ad libbing about any given topic while writers worked behind the scenes to present them with an updated script. And for those times where anchors were stuck without a story but airtime to fill, Reese needed people who wouldn't buckle under the pressure. Husband and wife duo Dave Walker and Lois Hart fit Reese's requirements perfectly. The newly married couple both worked for KOVR in California. They had both the relaxed manner and the urgency in a crisis that Reece was looking for. He decided to make them anchors on CNN's opening newscast. But Dave and Lois couldn't host 24 hour news alone. Reese needed a team of anchors who could work in shifts. The 12 he eventually recruited included Reynelda Muse as co host of the APM slot, and Bernie Shaw, who would anchor a politics heavy show direct from Washington D.C. both Reynalda and Bernie were black, a deliberate choice designed to help CNN stand out from the predominantly white anchors on the big three networks. Everything was designed to be a different and better way of delivering the news. But until it went on the air, CNN had no income. And with each passing day, its finances sank deeper into the red. Ted Turner needed to make sure that trend changed. As soon as CNN went live, there would be two main revenue streams for the new advertising and subscriptions. And they were linked. Ted knew that advertisers would be unwilling to spend their limited budgets on a channel with no viewers. So to secure advertisers, he'd have to find subscribers. Ted promoted CNN wherever and whenever he could. At industry events, in media interviews, and at press conferences, in his typically direct manner, he railed against the major networks and how stale TV had become. But he promised Americans that his new channel would be the competition the industry needed to shake it up. This bravado seemed to work because slowly the number of subscribers began to rise. And Ted confidently predicted that CNN would have at least 3 million subscribers by the time the channel began broadcasting in 1980. This was an ambitious target. Only 16 million homes in the United States even had cable TV. And Ted was claiming that almost one in five of them would sign up to his new channel. And it seemed that advertisers were listening. Ted's first breakthrough on the advertiser front came with global pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers. Their most lucrative customers were the over 60 demographic. And as Ted pointed out, that group was expected to be one of CNN's largest. Bristol Myers signed a deal to buy $10 million worth of advertising, and more companies soon agreed to similar deals. But all these agreements were dependent on Ted securing the subscription figures he'd promised. If he failed to sign up 3 million subscribers before launch day, then all these deals could be canceled. And despite Ted's best efforts, many Americans remained unaware of cnn. And even for those who had heard of it, the idea of signing up for a 24 hour news channel didn't have the same appeal as a dedicated movie or sports channel. By the spring of 1980, the launch of CNN was a matter of weeks away. But only 1.7 million people had signed up. Just barely over half what Ted had hoped for. With time running out, Ted had no option but to come clean. He called a meeting with CNN's advertisers and revealed the truth. They were not happy. One pressed Ted on how he even arrived at the 3 million subscriber target in the first place. In response, Ted turned on the charm. He explained that when he was on his plantation in South Carolina, all he thought about was cnn. One night, he looked up at the sky and saw 3 million stars. And according to Ted, that's how he came up with the figure. The advertisers couldn't help but laugh at Ted Swagger, and it cut through the tension in the room. From then on, what would have been a crisis meeting turned into a triumph. Ted offered the advertisers extra slots to make up for the shortfall in subscriber numbers. And by the end of the day, everyone had accepted Ted's proposal. 3 million subscribers or not, CNN had secured the advertising revenue it needed. And just in time. By May 1980, the year long wait for CNN to hit Americans screens was almost over. Rhys Schoenfeld had overcome the challenges of his tight budget to set up a 24 hour news service from scratch, and Ted Turner had put his bullish charisma to use in securing much needed revenue. But CNN was not on the air yet. Its sets were still unfinished, its pioneering technology was untested. And as launch day came closer, it began to feel that success was further away. Mom, I need to lay low for a few days. Lay low? What's going on? I only paid for this Hyundai Tucson Christopher Allen lynch deal.

[Ted Kavanaugh]

So right it almost feels wrong. Get the car or SUV you want at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Get 0.99 APR for 60 months or 7500 EV bonus on the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Visit your local Hyundai dealer today. Offers end March 31. Call 562-314-4603 for details.

[Narrator]

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[Ted Turner]

14, 1980, at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Three weeks before they're due to go live. Over the noise of construction, CNN executive Ted Kavanaugh tries to supervise a newscast rehearsal on a half finished set. An anchor sits behind a desk reading from a placeholder script. As he finishes his line, Kavanaugh speaks into a walkie talkie and cut to camera three. Cavanaugh checks his monitor, but the picture is still on the presenter, who's now staring silently into space. Come on, I said camera three. The monitor flickers, then switches to a blank screen. Oh for goodness sake, get out here. Get out of here. He looks over to the windows of the studio control room, but no one emerges. With an exasperated growl, he marches over to the booth. Are you all deaf? A junior producer in his early 20s looks up from behind his console, terrified. I'm sorry, Mr. Cavanaugh, we actually can't Hear you. We can't hear anything. Oh, my God. All right, let's just run it again. Okay, but is there a problem? We're all pretty white and with all the noise. Can we just get a sec to set up? Kavanaugh thinks for a moment, then gestures for the young man to stand up. Up out of your seat. I didn't mean anything. I just. No, no. Come with me. The producer gets to his feet and follows Kavanaugh, who grabs a large crate from a nearby construction worker. Kavanaugh climbs onto the crate and whistles. Everyone listen up. The construction workers put down their tools and the crew stops chatting. Even the anchor at his desk turns to face Kavanaugh. All right, now who's tired? You know who's feeling it. Hands up. Be honest. No one raises their hand, but Kavanaugh does. Well, look, I sure as hell am. And I know all of you are. You're working harder than you've ever worked in your lives for less money than your first paper round, and I know it. In three weeks, though, the eyes of the world will be on this room, which is terrifying. We can't seem to communicate with the booth, let alone Los Angeles or New York. And even the toilets don't flush. There's a ripple of nervous laughter around the set. But you can get a lot done in three weeks. And you know how I know that? Because I look at where we've come from and what we've already done. This past year has been a marathon run at Sprint speed. But we built a studio, we built a team. We built a new way of delivering the news. And in three weeks time, trust me, we will be ready. The casualties, construction will be done. The lights will go on, the cameras will roll. We are rounding the final corner, folks. Let's push. Push to the finish line. We have three weeks. Three weeks. Let's get to it. Let's get it done. Ted Kavanaugh's speech galvanized his staff at a critical moment. And no matter how tired they were, no one was walking out the door. Instead, the team in Georgia redoubled their efforts to get the Atlanta studio ready. But that was not CNN's only location. When Rhys Schoenfeld was first planning how to deliver 24 hour news, he decided that CNN would have multiple studios or bureaus in major cities across America. The primary studio would be in Atlanta, but Reese also decided to establish bureaus in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. each would be in charge of running different programs in the daily schedule. And this way the demands of 24 Hour News wouldn't fall on one team or one studio alone. To head the New York bureau, Reese hired reporter Mary Alice Williams. Mary would become familiar to viewers as the anchor of one of CNN's shows. But behind the scenes she ran the channel's entire operation in New York. That made mary responsible for seven hours of CNN's daily output. And in the run up to launch day, Mary was in as much of a rush to get her New York office ready as Ted Kavanaugh was in Atlanta. Some days Mary felt more like a site foreman than a reporter. She was managing the construction of an entire studio. And in New York that was no easy task. In one incident, Mary was threatened with an acid attack unless she paid a bribe to a mob backed protection racket. She kept her cool, refused to pay, and the men who tried to shake her down never came back. But she wasn't the only one having to deal with criminals. Just days before launch, two cameras were stolen from the CNN bureau in Los Angeles. Bosses there suspected it was an inside job and demanded that the LA based employees take lie detector tests to prove their innocence. But this heavy handed move only upset the overworked staff without finding a culprit. In the end, the bureau chief had no choice but to pay for two replacement cameras and try to mend fences with the crew. But it was all worth it. Despite the exhaustion of the team in Atlanta, the mob shakedowns in New York and the strained atmosphere behind the scenes in LA, by May 31, 1980, all the CNN studios were finished. But Rhys Schoenfeld still had one last problem to overcome. And it was largely out of his control to hit the airwaves with a bang. Riis wanted a major story to break. Something that would showcase CNN's unique ability to go live at the scene and update viewers on a rolling basis. Luckily for Reese, America delivered. Four days earlier, the high profile black activist Vernon Jordan had been shot by a white supremacist in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Vernon had survived the assassination attempt and on the day before CNN went live, the White House announced that U.S. president Jimmy Carter would visit Vernon in the hospital. Reese decided this presidential visit would be the perfect story for CNN to cover during its first hour. What he'd need though, was footage. The live feed of the President's trip was going to be provided by a local TV station. But NBC had already bought this coverage. The network was willing to share it with established rivals ABC and CBS, but not with upstart CNN. So the night before CNN's launch, Ted Turner and Reese Schoenfeld still didn't know whether NBC would allow them access to the footage. And it was more than just their channel's first story that was at stake. The credibility of the entire concept behind CNN would be undermined if America's first dedicated news channel went live on the air with no news. So as Reese went to bed that night, he knew that somehow he had to get that footage. Otherwise the lead story in the morning wouldn't be the President's hospital visit. It would be the humiliation of him and Ted and the failure of cnn. From Wonder Eat this is Episode one of Making the News for Business Moves. On the next episode, Reese Schoenfeld and Ted Turner transformed CNN from a laughing stock into America's primary source of break.

[Lindsey Graham]

If you like business movers, you can unlock exclusive episodes found nowhere else on Wondery and access new episodes early and ad free. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a [e-mail] survey.

[Ted Turner]

If you'd like to learn more about Ted Turner, Reese Schoenfeld and cnn, we recommend Me and Ted against the World by Rhys Schoenfeld, Mediaman by Ken Ouleta and the Inside Story by Hank Wittemore. A quick note about our dramatizations in most cases we can't know everything that happened, but all our reenactments are based on historical research. Business Movers is hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Mohammed Shazeeb Sound design by Molly Bach. Our supervising Sound designer is Matthew Fillan. Music by Thrum. This episode is written and researched by Owen Paul Nichols Senior Producer Scott Reeves. Executive producers are William Simpson for airship and Aaron O'Flaherty, Jenny Lauer Beckman and Marshall Louie for Wondery.

[Lindsey Graham]

In 1920, American women won the right.

[Ted Turner]

To vote, but it took over 70.

[Lindsey Graham]

Years and three generations of activists to get there. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of wonry show American Historytellers. We take you to the events, times and people that shaped America and Americans, our values, our struggles and our dreams. In our latest series, we trace the decades long struggle for women's voting rights and tell the stories of the visionary and often controversial suffragists who led the.

[Ted Turner]

Fight, including Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul and Ida B. Wells. Follow American Historytellers on the Wondery app.

[Lindsey Graham]

Or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad free and be the first to binge the newest season only on Wondery. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today.