Call Me Ted

Call Me Ted by Ted Turner gives deep insight into Turner's unorthodox approach to life. From taking over his father's business at a young age, Turner was able to turn (pun intended) the billboard agency around and expand into new verticals that would grow massively over the subsequent years. Turner was also an avid sports fan, becoming owner of the Atlanta Braves and winning the America's Cup as its skipper. Turner's life gives insight into what to do to be successful as well as what to avoid.

The biggest insight's from Turner's book was his foresight in his investments without real regard for price. He rebought his father's business to salvage the billboard company and expand into a growing market. He then purchased television stations despite the major networks having an effective monopoly over the main channels. He also purchased the Braves in an attempt to verticalize distribution of the team and align incentives with the management of the Braves. In each case Turner bought businesses at prices that normally should have procluded a purchase. However, due to his foresight in these investments he was able to skate to where the puck was going.

While Turner did many of his endeavors highly successfully, he also had some failures. His sale of Turner with Time Warner and eventually AOL proved unwise over the long term despite the initial stock pop. Most importantly, though, was the diminished power that Turner wielded after this transaction. This lack of power prevented him from executing important transaction like consolidating with a movie studio. For someone of Turner's style, giving up power certainly should not have been the solution.

While most of Call me Ted focuses on the life and business of Ted, towards the end he gets into his personal opinions. This section of the book is particularly nonsensical, especially the sections regarding overpopulation (despite his 5 kids). As a result, I feel it waters down the quality legacy Turner had initially presented.

While many of Turner's investments proved successful in the short term, it's unclear if they will persist successfully into the future. One could argue that had Ted remained in charge this would not be the case. Regardless, however, CNN and cable TV has been on a steep decline in recent years with no signs of stopping. Ted Turner's legacy may well be washed away with the sands of time.