https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/june-1/cnn-launches

CNN (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN), the brainchild of media king Ted Turner, celebrates 45 years of broadcast today (https://www.theprogressiveprofessor.com/2025/06/01/45th-anniversary-of-cnn-its-impact-on-journalism/). It went on the air (https://cordcuttersnews.com/45-years-ago-today-cnn-launched-revolutionizing-global-news/) on Sunday, June 1, 1980 (https://www.tvtango.com/listings?filters%5Bdate%5D%5Bmonth%5D=6&filters%5Bdate%5D%5Bday%5D=1&filters%5Bdate%5D%5Byear%5D=1980&commit.x=16&commit.y=10) at 5 PM EST, broadcasting from its Atlanta studio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqDopY5dMD8). At the time, with the progression of cable TV spreading through homes across the country, Turner believed viewers were ready for (and be interested in) a 24 hour non-stop news channel. It's lead story was the attempted assassination of civil rights leader Vernon Jordan.

In its first years of operation, CNN lost money and was ridiculed as the Chicken Noodle Network. However, Turner continued to invest in building up the network’s news bureaus around the world and in 1983, he bought Satellite News Channel, owned in part by ABC, and thereby eliminated CNN’s main competitor. CNN eventually came to be known for covering live events around the world as they happened, often beating the major networks to the punch. The network gained significant traction with its live coverage of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the network’s audience grew along with the increasing popularity of cable television during the 1990s and well into the 21st century.

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The world's first 24-hour news network came to life on June 1, 1980. Watch a behind the scenes look at what CNN looked like on its first day.

"The broadcast obviously looks a bit dated compared with what CNN looks like now. There wasn't a ticker or chyron; the stories had hardly any graphics; and there were some glitches. And of course, 1980s hair and fashion. Yet, even from its start, CNN felt like CNN," writes CNN's Frank Pallotta.


Cable News Network Is Launched. - Page 13 (https://books.google.com/books?id=M58rAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13&dq=CNN&article_id=6986,853572&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi-w-vg-NONAxXvFTQIHTI0AHcQ6AF6BAgMEAM)

Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Growing ... (https://books.google.com/books?id=FiRDAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA26&dq=CNN&article_id=2730,5753167&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi-w-vg-NONAxXvFTQIHTI0AHcQ6AF6BAgJEAM)

Bend Cable May Add 24-Hour News. - Page 43 (https://books.google.com/books?id=DdNYAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA43&dq=CNN&article_id=5833,996062&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi-yN2O-dONAxXKIzQIHYa5LYY4FBDoAXoECAsQAw)

Cnn To Offer Today Regains Lead. Option And Pacing What Had ... (https://books.google.com/books?id=LBNSAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10&dq=CNN&article_id=2491,75269&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi-yN2O-dONAxXKIzQIHYa5LYY4FBDoAXoECAoQAw)

Cable News Network Opens New Era. - Page 1 (https://books.google.com/books?id=-kVPAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=CNN&article_id=7126,2439127&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi65NHM-dONAxUNFTQIHcZPPME4KBDoAXoECAYQAw)

...News Begins Broadcasting. - Page 25 (https://books.google.com/books?id=drFPAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA25&dq=CNN&article_id=6366,796450&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi65NHM-dONAxUNFTQIHcZPPME4KBDoAXoECAwQAw)

All-News Television Network Inaugurated. - Page 10 (https://books.google.com/books?id=jBYiAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10&dq=CNN&article_id=5096,87663&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi65NHM-dONAxUNFTQIHcZPPME4KBDoAXoECA0QAw)

Cable News Network Future Looks Bright Despite Losses. - Page 34 (https://books.google.com/books?id=6BJPAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA34&dq=CNN&article_id=7086,7623255&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ6drr-dONAxUiBjQIHa0qNT84MhDoAXoECAQQAw)

News Network Rolling Along'. - Page 14 (https://books.google.com/books?id=pt4hAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA14&dq=CNN&article_id=3408,5152616&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ6drr-dONAxUiBjQIHa0qNT84MhDoAXoECAoQAw)

24-Hour Cable News Net Starts Sunday. - Page 7 (https://books.google.com/books?id=vJwcAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA7&dq=CNN&article_id=6765,6380471&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ6drr-dONAxUiBjQIHa0qNT84MhDoAXoECAgQAw)

Cable News To Air Sunday. - Page 13 (https://books.google.com/books?id=v8gsAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13&dq=CNN&article_id=7138,6800547&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ6drr-dONAxUiBjQIHa0qNT84MhDoAXoECAsQAw)

Cable News Station Ready To Go. - Page 9 (https://books.google.com/books?id=Kh5UAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA9&dq=CNN&article_id=4407,2232565&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ6drr-dONAxUiBjQIHa0qNT84MhDoAXoECA0QAw)

Update On Turner's Folly Network. - Page 34 (https://books.google.com/books?id=hb8aAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA34&dq=CNN&article_id=6868,3663272&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiikYaT-tONAxWPJzQIHR1vGvg4PBDoAXoECAsQAw)

'Turner's Folly Is Still On The Track. By Peter J. Boyer - Page 12 (https://books.google.com/books?id=AuFLAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12&dq=CNN&article_id=6956,3266740&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiikYaT-tONAxWPJzQIHR1vGvg4PBDoAXoECAcQAw)

Very Professional But So Repetitive. - Page 26 (https://books.google.com/books?id=rqFlAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA26&dq=CNN&article_id=1502,747451&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwippNOm-tONAxWfIjQIHSgzNqU4RhDoAXoECAYQAw)

Cable News Shows All The News All The Time. - Page 10 (https://books.google.com/books?id=AYdOAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10&dq=CNN&article_id=5013,564290&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwippNOm-tONAxWfIjQIHSgzNqU4RhDoAXoECAgQAw)

...Network Ready To... - Page 28 (https://books.google.com/books?id=fDAdAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA28&dq=CNN&article_id=6737,255202&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjdpaa2-tONAxXRJjQIHSOjL9k4UBDoAXoECAwQAw)

Cnn Offers In-Depth Coverage Of The News. - Page 20 (https://books.google.com/books?id=ccUPAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA20&dq=CNN&article_id=5928,1498278&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjdpaa2-tONAxXRJjQIHSOjL9k4UBDoAXoECAoQAw)

Cable Tv News Network Underway From Atlanta. - Page 15 (https://books.google.com/books?id=aCxVAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA15&dq=CNN&article_id=3462,5579567&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjdpaa2-tONAxXRJjQIHSOjL9k4UBDoAXoECAkQAw)

Pioneer Atlanta Tupn. - Page 8 (https://books.google.com/books?id=PWJEAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA8&dq=CNN&article_id=1283,543538&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjdpaa2-tONAxXRJjQIHSOjL9k4UBDoAXoECAUQAw)

Cable News Network 24-Hour-A-Day Project. - Page 9 (https://books.google.com/books?id=Rt4hAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA9&dq=CNN&article_id=4482,2043376&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSgpDW-tONAxVRADQIHaNLO7M4WhDoAXoECAoQAw)

Cable News Network, Ch. 16 Monday-Friday. - Page 23 (https://books.google.com/books?id=HZcyAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA23&dq=CNN&article_id=4645,909339&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSgpDW-tONAxVRADQIHaNLO7M4WhDoAXoECA0QAw)

Tv Review: Turner's Cable Tv News Said Right On Target. - Page 17 (https://books.google.com/books?id=gpkyAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA17&dq=CNN&article_id=6621,1912062&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixuuTl-tONAxXAGDQIHRZ-Auk4ZBDoAXoECAoQAw)

Turner's Cable News Network: Some Problems. - Page 4 (https://books.google.com/books?id=lDBVAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA4&dq=CNN&article_id=3526,3040184&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixuuTl-tONAxXAGDQIHRZ-Auk4ZBDoAXoECAUQAw)

News Network On Cutting Edge Of... - Page 14 (https://books.google.com/books?id=vpYyAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA14&dq=CNN&article_id=6594,1437228&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixuuTl-tONAxXAGDQIHRZ-Auk4ZBDoAXoECAYQAw)

Cable News Network, Ch. 16 Monday-Friday. - Page 23 (https://books.google.com/books?id=g5YyAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA23&dq=CNN&article_id=4692,7046477&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwju8ZaB-9ONAxUnFjQIHX6lBSc4jAEQ6AF6BAgGEAM)

Cable News Network, Ch. 16 Monday-Friday. - Page 25 (https://books.google.com/books?id=0ZYyAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA25&dq=CNN&article_id=4603,5997926&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwju8ZaB-9ONAxUnFjQIHX6lBSc4jAEQ6AF6BAgNEAM)