Dissolution of Turner Broadcasting System

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Wikipedia

The dissolution of Turner Broadcasting was the gradual dismantling and absorption of the parts of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS)—once an independent American media conglomerate—into its then-parent company WarnerMedia (now Warner Bros. Discovery) between 2019 and 2022. The process marked the end of Turner as a standalone operating division, following over four decades of influence in cable television, news broadcasting, and entertainment programming in the media industry.[1]

The dissolution was the culmination of multiple corporate restructurings following Time Warner's 1996 acquisition of Turner Broadcasting,[2] Ted Turner's resignation from AOL Time Warner,[3][4] and AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner in 2018,[5] and finally the WarnerMedia–Discovery merger in 2022.[6] Today, the majority of Turner Broadcasting's remaining assets are operated by Warner Bros. Discovery's Streaming & Studios and Global Linear Networks divisions.[7]

Background

Turner Broadcasting's logo from its establishment in 1965 to 2015.
Ted Turner pictured at the Kennedy Center in 1999

Following the death of his father by suicide in March 1963, Ted Turner inherited the debt-ridden Turner Advertising Company and was appointed its President and Chief Executive. Ted renamed the company to Turner Communications Group and pivoted it from billboard advertising to operating radio stations. On May 12, 1965, the company was officially incorporated as a Georgia corporation. Overtime. Ted helped the company reduce its debt and by July 1969, Turner reached a merger agreement with Rice Communications. The FCC approved the merger, and the combined entity retained the Turner name, giving Ted direct oversight over the Atlanta-based WJRJ-TV channel. In January 1970, Turner Communications renamed itself to Turner Broadcasting System and the WJRJ-TV channel was renamed to WTCG.

The CNN Center, now owned by CP Group

Turner then grew rapidly into a pioneering force in cable media. Its flagship station, WTBS, became one of the first "superstations" distributed nationwide via satellite. Turner later launched influential networks such as CNN (1980), TNT (1988), and Cartoon Network (1992). In 1996, Turner merged with Time Warner, bringing its networks into one of the world's largest media conglomerates. Despite the merger, Turner retained a distinct corporate identity, headquartered in Atlanta and overseeing its own networks.[8]

Time Warner acquired by AT&T, Turner starts being phased out

Over time, Turner's operational independence diminished as WarnerMedia centralized its television operations. The process accelerated after AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner (renamed WarnerMedia) in 2018, when major leadership and structural changes began reshaping the company.

AT&T dissolves Turner

WarnerMedia Logo from 2019-2022.

Following AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner, which was completed on June 14, 2018, the Turner division underwent a major reorganization. AT&T aimed to streamline operations by integrating Turner's networks into the broader WarnerMedia structure, alongside HBO and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

In 2019, WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey announced that the company would move away from the long-standing "Turner" name, consolidating its entertainment and news assets into new divisions.[9]

CNN, TNT, and TBS were reassigned to WarnerMedia News & Sports and WarnerMedia Entertainment, while Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang were absorbed into Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults, and Classics. By 2020, the Turner Broadcasting System, as an active corporate entity, had effectively ceased to exist—though its network brands continued to operate. The Atlanta Turner Techwood campus, once a cornerstone of the company's identity, began losing key departments as WarnerMedia consolidated towards operations in New York (30 Hudson Yards), Los Angeles (Cartoon Network Studios), and Burbank (Warner Bros.).

WarnerMedia merger

When AT&T announced its plan in May 2021 to spin off WarnerMedia and merge it with Discovery, Inc., the remaining Turner infrastructure was absorbed into the forthcoming Warner Bros. Discovery corporate framework. The merger was finalized on April 8, 2022, marking the formal end of Turner Broadcasting's independent existence.

Under Warner Bros. Discovery, the Turner legacy networks were reorganized as follows: CNN, CNN International, and HLN became part of Warner Bros. Discovery News; TNT, TBS, and truTV joined the U.S. Networks Group, focusing on general entertainment and sports; and Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang were folded into Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.[10]

The Turner name was quietly phased out of corporate branding and documentation. By late 2022, the Turner Broadcasting System trademark was no longer used in Warner Bros. Discovery filings, symbolizing its complete dissolution.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "AT&T, Time Warner deal disassembles Turner Broadcasting". ARTS ATL. March 6, 2019.
  2. ↑ UPI Archives (October 10, 1996). "TBS holders approve Time Warner deal". UPI. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  3. ↑ Doran, James (January 30, 2003). "Turner goes as AOL reveals loss of $98bn". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  4. ↑ Flint, Joe; Lippman, John (January 31, 2003). "Stripped of Power at Empire He Built, Ted Turner Quit AOL". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  5. ↑ Financier Worldwide Magazine (August 2018). "AT&T closes $85bn Time Warner deal". www.financierworldwide.com. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  6. ↑ WBD Press (April 2022). "Combination of Discovery and WarnerMedia Creates Warner Bros. Discovery, Global Leader in Entertainment and Streaming". ir.wbd.com. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  7. ↑ Flint, Joe (March 4, 2019). "AT&T Breaks Up Turner, Bulks Up Warner Bros. in Major WarnerMedia Overhaul". Wall Street Journal.
  8. ↑ "TURNER TO MERGE INTO TIME WARNER; A $7.5 BILLION DEAL". The New York Times. September 23, 1995.
  9. ↑ Ho, Rodney; Kempner, Matt. "AT&T's WarnerMedia restructuring breaks apart Turner Broadcasting". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  10. ↑ "WarnerMedia, Discovery complete merger, become Warner Bros. Discovery". CNBC. April 8, 2022.