Dissolution of Turner Broadcasting System

For the succsesor of this company, see Warner Bros Discovery.

The dissolution of Turner Broadcasting was the gradual dismantling and absorption of the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (commonly known as 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] and AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner in 2018,^[4] and finally the WarnerMedia–Discovery merger in 2022.^[5] Today, majority of Turner Broadcasting's remaining assets are operated by Warner Bros Discovery's Streaming & Studios and Global Linear Networks divisions.^[6]

Background

Main article: Turner Broadcasting System

Turner Broadcasting's logo from its establishment in 1965 to 2015.

Ted Turner pictured at the Kennedy Center in 1999

After his father committed suicide, Ted Turner was appointed President and CEO of Turner Advertising Company, a Savannah-based billboard business, in March 1963. Turner renamed the company to Turner Communications and officially incorporated it on May 12, 1965. By the late 1960s, Turner Communications transitioned from advertising to radio and cable television, with its most noteworthy purchase being that of the Atlanta-based WJRJ-TV channel from Rice Communications in 1969. Turner and Rice Communications merged in 1970, with the combined entity being Turner Broadcasting System.^[7]

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

Main article: Acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T

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 a 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 Hundson Yards] Los Angeles,[Cartoon Network Studios] and Burbank.[Warner Bros]

WarnerMedia merger

Further information: Merger of Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia

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, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang were folded under 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

• Ted Turner
• Warner Bros. Discovery
• Acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T
• CNN
• WarnerMedia
• TNT (American TV network)
• TBS (Cable Channel)