CNN should cover international news and the environment, not the "pervert of the day," network founder Ted Turner said Wednesday as the first 24-hour news network turned 25.

Turner, an outspoken media mogul who started CNN in 1980 but no longer controls the network, said he envisioned CNN as a place where rapes and murders that dominated local news wouldn't be emphasized, but he's seeing too much of that "trivial news" on the network he created, now second in ratings to Fox News Channel.

"I would like to see us to return to a little more international coverage on the domestic feed and a little more environmental coverage, and, maybe, maybe a little less of the pervert of the day," he said in a speech to CNN employees outside the old Atlanta mansion where the network first aired.

"You know, we have a lot of perverts on today, and I know that, but is that really news? I mean, come on. I guess you've got to cover Michael Jackson, but not three stories about perversion that we do every day as well."

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Posted by Lawren at June 2, 2005 07:28 AM

You Said

Agreed. Too bad the market is for pervert stories.

Says: Kelly at June 2, 2005 12:30 PM

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A cable news network showing the news instead of gossip. What a concept!

Says: Brian D. at June 2, 2005 01:33 PM

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Too bad you missed the comment where he said that he was responsible (at least partly) for the end of the Cold War. This guy has some MAJOR delusions of grandeur!

Says: Skerdog at June 2, 2005 03:30 PM

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