The Stories Behind Media’s Biggest Moguls
Behind every media empire is a story of ambition, power, and relentless vision.
Hosted by longtime media operator Web Barr, Media Moguls tells the in-depth stories of the visionaries, entrepreneurs, and innovators who built and shaped the media industry—starting with Ted Turner.
Each season, we’ll explore a different mogul—their wins, losses, and lasting impact—while breaking down the game-changing innovations, paradigm-shifting strategies, and pivotal moments that shaped television, Hollywood, sports, and news over the last century. Along the way, we’ll tell the story of how we got to now.
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The Stories Behind Media’s Biggest Moguls
Behind every media empire is a story of ambition, power, and relentless vision.
Hosted by longtime media operator Web Barr, Media Moguls tells the in-depth stories of the visionaries, entrepreneurs, and innovators who built and shaped the media industry—starting with Ted Turner.
Each season, we’ll explore a different mogul—their wins, losses, and lasting impact—while breaking down the game-changing innovations, paradigm-shifting strategies, and pivotal moments that shaped television, Hollywood, sports, and news over the last century. Along the way, we’ll tell the story of how we got to now.
The Ted Turner Saga | Part 2: WTCG—Watch This Channel Grow
Media Moguls with Web Barr
1 hour 56 minutes
7 months ago
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.
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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
Media Moguls with Web Barr
The Stories Behind Media’s Biggest Moguls
Behind every media empire is a story of ambition, power, and relentless vision.
Hosted by longtime media operator Web Barr, Media Moguls tells the in-depth stories of the visionaries, entrepreneurs, and innovators who built and shaped the media industry—starting with Ted Turner.
Each season, we’ll explore a different mogul—their wins, losses, and lasting impact—while breaking down the game-changing innovations, paradigm-shifting strategies, and pivotal moments that shaped television, Hollywood, sports, and news over the last century. Along the way, we’ll tell the story of how we got to now.
