The American network CNN announced on Wednesday the death at 87 of its founder Ted Turner, a bold and provocative figure, a pioneer of continuous news before becoming an influential philanthropist.

Donald Trump - who regularly attacks the network, accusing it of hostility towards him - paid tribute to "a great name in the history of television".

In 2018, the media mogul revealed he was suffering from Lewy body dementia, a neurodegenerative disease causing symptoms similar to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in November 1938, Ted Turner first attended a military boarding school in Tennessee before joining the prestigious Brown University, from which he was expelled before obtaining his degree.

Having entered the business world by taking over the struggling advertising company left by his father, who died by suicide, he entered the world of television in 1970 by buying a station in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ten years later, it had become the cornerstone of his national network, the Turner Broadcasting System, whose profits had enabled him to launch CNN in 1980.

As the first 24-hour continuous news channel, it gradually established itself in the United States and then internationally, accompanying the transition from terrestrial television to cable.

Its influence was particularly evident during the first Gulf War (1990-1991), thanks to extensive live coverage made possible by satellite technology.

- Murdoch's Rival -

CNN's success has since inspired the creation of numerous 24-hour news channels, including Fox News, founded by Ted Turner's longtime rival Rupert Murdoch, MSNBC, and many others around the world.

Sports were Ted Turner's other passion. He had owned the Atlanta Braves baseball team, as well as the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and the Atlanta Thrashers ice hockey team.

He had also won the America's Cup in 1977 as skipper of the American yacht Courageous.

A maritime incident had also strengthened his rivalry with Rupert Murdoch in 1983, when a yacht sponsored by the latter collided with that of Ted Turner during the Sydney-Hobart race, causing his schooner to sink.

"His pioneering role left an indelible mark on our cultural landscape. He was a great American and a friend," the media mogul said in a statement.

Named Time magazine's man of the year in 1991, he married actress Jane Fonda that same year, his third wife, from whom he divorced ten years later.

Ted Turner attributed their difficulties to Jane Fonda's conversion to Christianity. Fonda's version: "He needs someone by his side 100% of the time (...). It's not love, it's babysitting."

Beyond business and sports, he was known for his philanthropic and environmental commitments.

- Climate advocate -

In 1998, Ted Turner donated one billion dollars to create the United Nations Foundation, which is committed to issues including climate, sustainable development, technology and health.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday hailed "a visionary whose conviction, generosity and audacity have left a lasting mark on the United Nations and on our world."

He had also created in 1997 a Fund for the protection of endangered species such as gopher turtles or monarch butterflies.

In 2015, he launched the Ted Turner Reserves, an ecotourism initiative allowing visitors to tour his properties in New Mexico and discover nature conservation projects.

His death comes at a time when the 24-hour news channel he created is about to come under the control of the Ellison family, considered close to Donald Trump, which raises questions about its editorial independence.

The US president asserted on Wednesday, following his tribute to the media mogul, that CNN had become "woke," a pejorative adjective used by conservatives to refer to their progressive opponents, and expressed hope that the channel would be "restored to its former credibility and glory" by its new owners, "wonderful people."

CNN has suffered from poor ratings for many years. Its competitor, Fox News, records a much larger audience.