Ted Turner Named Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Media Visionary and Philanthropist To Be Honored At 2009 Atlanta Sports Awards
ATLANTA (Jan. 16, 2009) – Ted Turner, media visionary and philanthropist, who presided over the Atlanta Braves ascension to “America’s Team”, has been named winner of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Coca-Cola, the Atlanta Sports Council announced today.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a recipient who has made a positive impact throughout their career in both the sports world and in their community. Turner joins previous recipients Hank Aaron (2006), Vince Dooley (2007) and Billy Payne (2008), and will be recognized at the 2009 Atlanta Sports Awards presented by Applebee’s on Feb. 2, 2009, at the Historic Fox Theatre’s Egyptian Ballroom.
"Ted's contributions, both professionally and personally, will last for generations," said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Sports Council president. "The positive impact he has made on Atlanta is unmistakable and I can not thank him enough for what he has done for our great city."
Turner is known as a media mogul in the broadcasting world with the creation of numerous television networks, including CNN, TNT and Cartoon Network, but brought more than that to the city of Atlanta through sports. Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976 and the Atlanta Hawks in 1977 to provide sports on his first broadcasting network, TBS Superstation. Following the ownership of two sports teams, Turner created the Goodwill Games in 1986 and held activities in Moscow, Seattle, Saint Petersburg, Russia and New York before the company (Turner Broadcasting) was acquired by Time Warner. The current home of the Braves, originally constructed for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, was converted into a baseball stadium and re-named Turner Field. As a philanthropist, Turner pledged one billion dollars of his own money to support United Nations causes and activities, later creating the United Nations Foundation.
“I am honored to receive this award,” Turner said. “Atlanta is home to some of the most extraordinary athletes in all levels of sports and will always be the sports capital to me.”
The Atlanta Sports Awards was created in 2006 when the Atlanta Sports Council came up with the idea of a gala-style event to honor the achievements of metro Atlanta’s best athletes, coaches and teams from all levels of competition. It celebrates and recognizes these tremendous athletic feats on a yearly basis.
Turner will be honored alongside Pete Van Wieren and the late Skip Caray, who were named recipients of the Furman Bisher Award for Sports Media Excellence presented by the Atlanta Sports Council.
Other Atlanta Sports Awards categories include:
- Amateur Athlete of the Year Award presented by CSS
- Coach of the Year Award presented by Delta Air Lines
- Collegiate Athlete of the Year Award presented by AT&T
- Female and Male High School Scholar-Athletes of the Year Award
- High School Athlete of the Year Award, presented by Russell Athletic
- Professional Athlete of the Year presented by SunTrust
- Sports Person of the Year Award presented by Champion Window Manufacturing
- Team of the Year Award presented by The Home Depot
ABOUT THE ATLANTA SPORTS AWARDS
The Atlanta Sports Awards honors 11 award recipients who distinguish themselves from the five million people living in the 29 metro Atlanta counties and surrounding areas. That includes all eight Atlanta professional sports teams, 14 universities, 12 junior colleges and more than 250 public and private high schools. For information please contact the Atlanta Sports Council at 404-586-8510 or visit http://www.atlantasportsawards.com/.
ABOUT APPLEBEE'S SERVICES, INC.
Applebee's Services Inc., and its affiliates, franchise and operate restaurants under Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar and is a DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN) brand. As of September 30, 2008, there were 1,997 Applebee's restaurants operating system-wide in 49 states, 17 international countries and one U.S. territory, of which 480 were company-owned. Additional information on Applebee's can be found at the company's website (www.applebees.com).
ABOUT THE ATLANTA SPORTS COUNCIL
The Atlanta Sports Council promotes the value of sports growth in Atlanta and Georgia by acting as an authority on the economic impact, visibility and quality of life issues associated with sports. Its mission is to lead, organize and support sports development with the goal of building Atlanta’s reputation as the Sports Business Capital of the World. The Atlanta Sports Council won the Sports Commission of the Year Award in 2000, 2004 and 2006. For more information, please visit http://www.atlantasportscouncil.com/.