Media Moguls with Web Barr

• The Ted Turner Saga | Part 2: WTCG—Watch This Channel Grow

  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. 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 (06:31): 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

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• The Ted Turner Saga | Part 1: Signs of a Revolution

  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

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• Introducing Media Moguls

  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

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