<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">Roughly three decades ago, it would have taken only a quick drive through the heart of Atlanta to see how much Ted Turner had made the city his own.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">On the right, there was Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, a chronic laggard until Mr. Turner transformed it into “America’s Team” by way of very hands-on ownership and games beamed across the country via his Turner Broadcasting System. On the left, poking out of the downtown skyline, was the CNN Center, the hub of a global news organization that invented the 24-hour news cycle and was a towering landmark of his ambitions. </p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">These days, the Turner name and legacy are not as plainly evident in the city. The stadium once known as Turner Field is now named after a local credit union, and CNN has moved into smaller accommodations elsewhere.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">And yet, after news spread <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/business/media/ted-turner-dead.html" title="">of Mr. Turner’s death</a> on Wednesday at 87, many in Atlanta said that his influence in redefining the city had not faded. Atlanta was now a capital of entertainment and media, pulsing with a relentless and audacious hustle that could be traced right back to Ted Turner.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-1"></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">“That’s what he did,” said Sheffield Hale, chief executive of the Atlanta History Center. “Without him, it never would have happened. And now, if something big happens in Atlanta, people aren’t surprised because it has happened before.”</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">The city has become a destination for rappers and singers and reality television stars. It is where Tyler Perry made an empire of his own, turning 330 acres of an old Army base into film studios. The peach logo denoting a Georgia-based production has been affixed to the credits of a wide array of movies and TV shows.</p><div class="css-kbghgg"><div class="css-121kum4"><div class="css-171d1bw"></div><div class="css-asuuk5"><noscript><div class="css-7axq9l" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="css-1b5b8u1" data-tpl="i" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24"><path clip-rule="evenodd" d="M2.5 12a9.5 9.5 0 1 1 19 0 9.5 9.5 0 0 1-19 0Zm8.5 1.75v-7.5h2v7.5h-2Zm0 2v2h2v-2h-2Z" fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><div class="css-6yo1no" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript-message"><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.</p><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.</p></div></div></noscript><div class="css-1dv1kvn" id="optimistic-truncator-a11y" tabindex="-1"><hr/><p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. 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