Nov. 9, 2008
Ted Turner Looks Back
Media Mogul Talks About His Life, Loves, Personal Struggles And Business
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Feeling Alone On The Range
Morley Safer speaks with Ted Turner about his financial losses after the merger of Time Warner with AOL, his feud with Rupert Murdoch, his relationship with women, and his relationship with his father.
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1977: Ted Turner
Walter Cronkite contributed this report on the America's Cup sailing race, in 1977, and met a very determined captain, Ted Turner.
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2003: Ted Turner
Ted Turner spoke to Mike Wallace, in 2003, about his initiative to donate $1 billion to the United Nations.
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Ted Turner (CBS)
His utter inability to self-censor earned Turner the nickname "The Mouth from the South." But to some it was evidence of true mental instability.
Turner admits he took the drug lithium for a while, but said it had no effect. But that didn’t stop his rival Rupert Murdoch from questioning his sanity during their legendary war of words.
Murdoch's newspapers were brutal attacking Turner, calling him nuts. And Turner thinks Murdoch had detectives following him around at times. "At least I think he did. I never had any proof of it."
Turner once said Murdoch was the most dangerous man in the world, but he no longer believes that. "I think George Bush is the most dangerous man in the world," he says. "I've made peace with Rupert. We had lunch together a few months ago. Now there's not anybody I don't like. But after this interview's over, I may not like you."
It's vintage Ted Turner, as was his joy when he agreed to AOL's merger with Time Warner. "I did it as much or more excitement and enthusiasm as I did on that night when I first made love some 42 years ago," he said.
He was now worth $10 billion. But shortly after the merger, Turner was pushed aside by Time Warner brass, even though he was the company's largest individual stockholder. Then the Internet bubble burst and AOL/Time Warner stock went into a free-fall.
Turner lost nearly $10 million a day for two and a half years. Asked if he ever considered getting out of this, he tells Safer, "But my kids were all in the stock, most of my friends were. So I sat there loyally and went down the drain with everybody else."
To the tune of $7 billion. To Turner, it was "Apocalypse Now." His marriage to Jane Fonda was breaking up, a grandchild was gravely ill, and he was jobless. His five children were worried, that like his father, Turner might take his own life.
"He contemplated suicide. And I was really worried when Jane left him, they took away his job the way they did, he was. That was the lowest I'd ever seen him," Turner's daughter Laura remembers.
"He was really depressed and a lot of other things were happening in our family as well. So it was a really, really tough time for him. And he barreled through it," son Rhett tells Safer.
"And he also got help. He got professional help," Laura says.
She says he went to a see a shrink. "And he said he always left his shrink and he cheered his shrink up. He said he would leave him laughing."
Turner admits he spent more time gallivanting around the globe than he did being a father.
"We never sat down for a meal for more than 15 minutes. I can guarantee you," Rhett remembers. "He'd also give the monologue. The conversation was his through the whole dinner."
"Yeah, after a vacation with Dad, you need a vacation," son Teddy jokes.
Recently, Turner says he has become a better father, and feels his relationship with his children is his greatest achievement.
Produced by Deirdre Naphin
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See all 114 Comments''coyote ugly''
The second song on the cd.
The first being, ''The gals all get prettier at closing time.''
It must be getting close to ''closin time'' for Ted and Jane.
But the song most requested by the man she knew as cowboy was the late nite benediction at the ya''ll come back saloon.
4th;Thank God and greyhound and she''s gone.
5th He stopped lovin her today
6th She stole my coyote and ran off with best friend.
I sure gonna miss my coyote.
You *** city dwelling want-to-be country idiots have ruined Montana and Idaho.
Or is obama only going to take the REAL AMERICANS wealth to spread and leave the LIBERAL HYPOCRITES (TED TURNER) wealth alone?
Seems Ted Turner is simply a person with money.
May I come and keep you company, Ted?
CNN is telling us all to suck up to our bosses to keep our jobs. Can I suck up to you instead?
You *** city dwelling want-to-be country idiots have ruined Montana and Idaho.
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Posted by TheTwigMan
I absolutely agree. What a wimp. I''ve seen this guy strolling around Bozeman with his brand-new $1000 boots and driving his $100,000 Range Rover....that''s never seen dirt. Scared of coyotes? You''ve got to be kidding me.....
What are you... Ted''s little sister? You are probably just like ol'' Ted. Or maybe you are one the the thousands of worthless Californians who ruined our way of life with the lack of character.
My guess is you couldn''t shoot your way out of a wet paper bag. In fact, you have probably shot your mouth off more than you have a gun...
Anytime you think you have the sack for it come out to Idaho and talk your tough guy city talk. It''s likely you will learn what it feels like to have a foot up your butt instead of your mouth.
Why would anyone want to be a country idiot?
Poor Ted.
Well said. Unfortunately, people that haven''t been directly affected by wealthy individuals ransacking their states don''t have an clue.
I hope to be wealthy enough some day to vote for a Democrat or a Republican.
Posted by nostudme
Such nice people conservatives are. No doubt they''ll be around doing their best to put the negative side forward every day for the next eight years. From what I know of Mr Turner, he''s philanthropic, generous to a fault and a visionary and he hates Murdoch. Not exactly a loser unlike yourself; no stud me.
Here, we have a real life example of future generations being affected by the greed and ego of a wealthy individual.
You may think us nasty and mean "conservatives" (which by the way has nothing to do with this subject) but if you had lived in a place for generations you would probably have a different perspective. It would surprise me if you weren''t a little bitter yourselves.
Here, we have a real life example of future generations being affected by the greed and ego of a wealthy individual.
You may think us nasty and mean "conservatives" (which by the way has nothing to do with this subject) but if you had lived in a place for generations you would probably have a different perspective. It would surprise me if you weren''''t a little bitter yourselves.
Posted by TheTwigMan at 05:13 PM : Nov 07, 2008
So according to you and montanaman, no one should have the right to bar anyone from accessing their property. Private property means nothing to you, huh? Does that mean that anyone who wants to can go into your home and help themselves to anything they want?
If there had ever been one person who asked me in the springtime if there was anything they could do to help me I probably would let them hunt here. so far no one''s offered to help plant or water new trees or spray for noxious weeds or any sort of help whatsoever.
Then i got the jerks that think they are so cute standing at the edge of my property (right by the no hunting sign) and send their dogs in to scare up pheasants, they shoot them, the dog brings them back. That''s how they deal with "no trespassing!"
And then there''s the ones that will go in anyhow. My dad''s place had some SOB''s that trespassed, shot a deer, and rather than get off their lazy azzes and tote it out, they cut the fence, drove the truck through the alfalfa field leaving deep tracks, and didn''t bother to fix the fence.
I don''t mind hunters, but the further people get away from the land, the more inconsiderate they become. They have no idea how to treat the land or the value of what it takes to have that pristine pheasant, deer, elk land.
Posted by Speakinup21
C''mon, now. There are many accurate and well-deserved insults that can be thrown at Jane Fonda. "Fat butt" isn''t one of them. The woman is trim and fit.
I do NOT feel sorry for this man one bit....not one spec.
I''ll gladly trade him my 2 1/2 for his 2 million acres.....
http://www.jokerzinternetradio.com/phpmotion/play.php?vid=104
Posted by antepamfe200 at 07:39 PM : Nov 07, 2008
I don''t think your entreaties are necessary - the Obamination we just elected will be forcing him to share soon enough.
I bet he has has big posse though
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