Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News

by Lisa Napoli

The wild inside story of the birth of CNN and dawn of the age of 24-hour news
 
How did we get from an age of dignified nightly news broadcasts on three national networks to the age of 24-hour channels and constantly breaking news? The answer—thanks to Ted Turner and an oddball cast of cable television visionaries, big league rejects, and nonunion newbies—can be found in the basement of an abandoned country club in Atlanta. Because it was there, in the summer of 1980, that this motley crew somehow, against all odds, launched CNN.
 
Lisa Napoli’s Up All Night is an entertaining inside look at the founding of the upstart network that set out to change the way news was delivered and consumed. Mixing media history, a business adventure story, and great characters, Up All Night tells the story of a network that succeeded beyond even the wildest imaginings of its charismatic and uncontrollable founder, and paved the way for the world we live in today.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Journalism, Business, Politics, Cultural

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 2020

About the author

Author,
Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth
Crown, February 2011
(Paperback: Broadway Books, April, 2012)

Lisa Napoli is a journalist who has worked in all media. She began her career at CNN in Atlanta in the early eighties, worked in local TV news in North Carolina, covered the Clinton campaign and Waco standoff as a field producer for an early iteration of the Fox News Service, produced shows for an upscale division of QVC called Q2, covered the early days of the Web for the NY Times as the first staff columnist/reporter hired for a now defunct-section called CyberTimes, served as Internet correspondent for MSNBC (where she wrote an accompanying column for MSNBC.com) and most recently served as reporter/back-up host for the public radio show Marketplace.

She had never traveled to Asia before she was asked, by chance, to go to Bhutan in 2006.

Her proudest accomplishment, in addition to learning to swim at age 37, are the parties she holds every Friday night, where she relishes seeing friends befriend one another.

A native of Brooklyn, NY and a graduate of Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., Napoli currently lives in downtown Los Angeles, where there’s a giant swimming pool, and hopes in the second half of her life to be a philanthropist.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. I wouldn’t expect the history of Ted Turner, 24 hour news or CNN to be boring anyway, but Lisa Napoli has excelled in bringing this history to life in anecdote-rich, borderline poetic writing.

It is history, adventure, journalism and cultural analysis all in one.

What astounded me was just how influential this period of history was in the making of our modern world, far beyond the confines of cable news. This point was most clearly made at the beginning and end chapters, where Napoli recounts two similar stories (children, stuck in wells/underground) and the different responses many years apart. The technology changed — but what didn’t was the desire for people to know what was happening in their own backyard or around the globe.

If not entirely for world peace, as Ted Turner had envisioned it, at least for a damn good story.

[skip thurnauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before Ted Turner, television stations turned off their lights, played the national anthem, and displayed a "test screen" or other symbol until broadcasts resumed in the morning. Ted Turner changed that when he bought a small TV station in Atlanta and began playing movies all night long. Soon he's broadcasting Atlanta Braves games throughtout the south. Next, he purchases a huge satellite dish and expands broadcasting nationwide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Never a news fan himself, in December 1978 he floats the idea of CNN, a national news station, to the national cable association. The idea flops. Undeterred, Turner plows ahead with his idea for 24 hour news. CNN launches almost exactly 40 years ago, June 1, 1980. The rest is history. More cable stations and the end of the dominance of the 3 major broadcast networks follow. I previously read a Ted Turner biography and had an opportunity to meet him at a couple of business meetings. This is not a Ted Turner bio, but the story of the evolution of TV to 24 hour cable. "Up All Night" does capture Turner's energy and creativity and his ability to see a future unapparent to others, as well as the will and capacity to forge ahead undaunted to acheive his vision. A good book about a courageous innovator with a unique personality and drive.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the birth of 24-Hour News by Lisa Napoli is an engrossing history of the lead-up to and launch of 24-hour news. As such, it is also a bit of a biography of Ted Turner since his, um, personality played a large role.

This book was more interesting than I anticipated, in large part to the history being more interesting but also because of Napoli's writing. I should clarify a little, I did expect it to interest me, but mostly along the lines of finding the beginnings of anything interesting. Actually looking forward to each new chapter was a wonderful unexpected perk.

As the title says this is about "the Birth of 24-Hour News" and not a history of CNN, so don't expect this book to be something it isn't trying to be. Major events, such as 9/11, that take place after CNN is established does not fall under "the Birth of 24-Hour News." This should be neither a surprise nor a reason to feel like something was left out.

While I fully expect a history of CNN, and even one of Faux News at some point, to be written (if they haven't been already) I was quite happy with the limited scope of this book. I think, once the network was up and fairly secure, the nature of the narrative would have changed and, as such, really needs its own presentation.

I would highly recommend this to readers who don't remember a world without news overload. It truly was a different world, and for those of us who still resist 24-hour news, it is nice to go back and remember those days. And while I sound like I am anti-news networks, I'm not, I'm mostly anti-news entertainment masquerading as news programming. I admit it is nice, when something is breaking, to know where I can go to get the story.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[meg (the.hidden.colophon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turns out, the guy that invented 24-hour news is exactly like you’d think he’d be.

I expected this to be a throwaway read; something I take the facts from and nothing else. However, Napoli’s style actually turned this into a somewhat unputdownable read. Ted’s unpredictability is reflected in the somewhat sporadic but also skillfully sequenced storytelling.

I’m pretty outspoken in my distrust of traditional journalism industry, especially the 24-hour news cycle. I believe that pushing to make news “entertaining” for 24 hours is inherently disingenuous and can create more problems than it solves. I picked up this history of it in order to understand what would motivate the creation of what is, in my opinion, starkly bad.

However, I’ve come to realize that my stance on 24-hour news comes from my perspective after the fact. I’ve seen what having access to news 24 hours a day does to me and the people around me. However, I was not even close to being alive when the conditions that called for 24-hour news access existed, so it’s unfair of me to proclaim that there are no good reasons for 24-hour news.

While I no longer feel so staunch in my position on this phenomenon (still pretty steadfast, but I can be more flexible now), I can confidently say that its creation was far more interesting than I anticipated. I expected Up All Night to be a slog, but it’s as off-beat and interesting as Ted himself.

While Ted and I would never be friends, and I still distrust journalism, I have to admit that his invention was a great response to the circumstances in which he lived. Additionally, Up All Night was written in an engaging way, when it would have been much easier to make this a dry and droll history.

4.5.

[Paul Sutter]

You have to give people with visions, credit. Ted Turner was one of those visionaries. People have formed definite opinions of the man, many negative, but after reading UP ALL NIGHT, they may change for the positive.
The book explains how Turner took an idea and ran with it. If not for Turner and the progression of idea and plans, news as we see it today would likely be radically different.
It was in the 1970’s that Turner began purchasing television and radio stations. They were smaller, and far from noteworthy, but it was more like practice for what would become bigger and better things. Cable TV was in its infancy. Turner began his stations with reruns of old shows like I Love Lucy. It also brought the sport of wrestling to bigger audiences.
People were not hungry for news, stations offering some news then most signing off at midnight, leaving a test pattern on the air from midnight until 7 a.m. or so. Turner conceived of the 24 hour Super Station, going against all logic. But it worked. The 24 hour news channel became his next quest, which resulted in the emergence of CNN. It had defied all odds.
It was not always a sure thing as money flowed out faster than it came in. It was a question of could Turner always make payroll? With CNN and then purchasing the Atlanta Braves baseball team, Turner forged ahead until 1987, when he sold much of his interest in the station to Time Warner.
UP ALL NIGHT may keep you up all night, reading this fascinating look at Ted Turner’s life and world.

[Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that's more about the events leading up to the launch of CNN than after, though it covers some major events in the '80s and how they influenced how news was made. It covers the major figures that built CNN, but the focus is on Ted Turner himself, as well as Maurice Schoenfeld and Ted Kavanau, who were instrumental in getting the channel off the ground. Read about how Ted started out with his father's billboard company, then moved to radio for advertising, then the Atlanta UHF channel 17 WJRJ. This book is also shorter than you think, as a big chunk is dedicated to notes, acknowledgments, and a bibliography.

[Lissa00 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. When Ted Turner decided to start CNN, there were a handful of kind of kooky enthusiasts who thought it was possible, the rest of the industry thought it crazy. I really enjoyed this look into CNN as it has been something around for a lot of my life. I almost wish it had been longer, though, as the last third or so of the book is appendices. I wish it would have covered the around the clock coverage of 9/11. Otherwise, I found it interesting. I received a digital ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Brad Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I worked in the control room of one of the pre-CNN cable systems and we signed on to CNN when the network itself signed on. We were one of the few systems to take advantage of CNN2's local avails in cooperation with the local paper and Ted Turner himself came here to do a local newsbreak himself. (Don't ever let an executive do a job better left to a professional!) A lot of the book shed light on what was happening while we worked in the trenches and brought back memories. And yes we stayed up to watch Bill Tush do his "newscast".

[Karin Aiello · Rating 3 out of 5]

On another app, with half-star ratings allowed, this would be a 3.5 or even 3.75 rating. I enjoyed it, I would recommend it to some, but not everyone. I didn't love some of the actual writing, the sentence structure was weird sometimes. But the story was a doozy and enjoyable enough to read about the history of what I'd like to pronounce as the worst thing to ever happen to society: the 24-hour news deluge. I absolutely abhor it, and think it has ruined a lot of things. It doesn't surprise me that the man who created this 24-hour news phenomenon didn't even watch the news.

[Mary Wherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never even thought about what CNN stood for- Cable News Network. This was interesting because I was a kid in the fifties when televisions became part of most American homes. I remember the excitement of getting that big console and sometimes watching until programming ended about midnight. We only had a couple channels to choose to watch.
This book about Ted Turner starting 24 hour cable news includes so much more broadcasting history.
It bogged down in details occasionally.

[K C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit frustrating. First half of the book is basically about Turner's early life and that it morphs into a snapshot of each of the "originals," the team that Turner put together to make CNN come alive and all the obstacles they went through and the live gaffes at the beginning of broadcasting, most of which was highly amusing. But it basically stops at the birth and I would have liked to read more about the highlights and troubles in later years as well.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who works in (print) media, I was naturally interested in the subject. I knew nothing about Ted Turner’s background or what led to the creation of CNN. Very informative. As I read, I sometimes forgot the background of the other people involved with the early days of CNN, but that didn’t diminish the content for me. Also, I learned my hometown had a part in CNN’s first broadcast hour. That was a fun surprise!

[S C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth it just for the Ted Turner stuff. Could have used more of it. Fascinating guy. Liked reading about the evolution of American TV and cable as well. Although the book doesn't acknowledge CNN's later descent into fake news, you can see how Turner's vision could end up being corrupted. And it's unsurprising that it didn't happen until he was pushed out.

[Ellen Bernstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I enjoyed reading about how Ted Turner got to the point of launching CNN. I was the around the age (recent college grad) that many of the employees were, that CNN hired back in 1980. What a great opportunity to get your career started. I have told family & friends about the book and would recommend reading it.

[JustKate]

Interesting read. I like the books that talk about the genesis of things that we think have been around for a long time - Nike, CAA, Home Depot, CNN.
But this was a lot more about what an eccentric Turner was than I expected.
Overall informative while meandering, as you can tell from how long it took me to finish.

[Reggie Martell · Rating 3 out of 5]

My beef isn't really with the quality of the writing or reporting, I just felt a little short-changed. The creation and launch of CNN almost feels like the denouement of this book. It felt like we just scratched the surface of the network's earliest days.

As a Ted bio, it totally works. As a history of CNN, it falls short.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to make one helluva movie! People born in the digital age have no idea how things were back in the day...this is a good look back and a great history lesson of the birth of tv to today and informational overload - 24 hour news.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow what a compelling and distressing book. This history is more timely than ever given current events and our nation's dependence on seemingly irrevocably differing news outlets and the realities they spin. An essential read for the critical thinker in your life.

[Mark Lashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turner's one of America's most repugnant assholes, but this reveals just what a unique and compelling brand of asshole he is. Overall it's a really fun getting-the-band-together story set at the beginning of a communications revolution that's never quite ended.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the author, I also interned at CNN. However, I haven't written a book.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting details. Truly just about the birth of CNN (although it takes until chapter 6 for CNN to be brought up). Wraps up some details after the first few months and then it's done.

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!

[Readersaurus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating stuff about the history of television but, if I never read another word about Ted Turner, it will still be too much.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s amazing CNN got off the ground. Ted was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul but remarkable that he knew it would be a success. Quite a visionary and quite a character.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ted Turner was nuts

[Ron Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick look at Ted Turner and the birth of CNN. Interesting but it feels incomplete.

[Stephen Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, and so motherfucking true shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of praise for the erratic Ted Turner, just wasn’t a great page turner. I guess it was informative and that is good.

[Amanda Supak]

Did not finish 11%, 35 pages. No rating given on purpose

I just found it kinda boring and a big bogged down in the weeds. I'm sure this book is fine for someone else

[Roger Strauss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, I lived this book (and also got named in the acknowledgements!). Although it does not break a lot of new ground for me, you should read it if you are a TV news junkie.