2 hours ago
2
The resurfaced Turner Doomsday Video, created by CNN founder Ted Turner before the network's 1980 launch, has left many viewers feeling uneasy after his death
00:40, Thu, May 7, 2026 Updated: 00:51, Thu, May 7, 2026
The so-called "Turner Doomsday Video," is a one-minute clip produced ahead of CNN's 1980 launch (Image: AFP or licensors)
A resurfaced CNN clip featuring the late Ted Turner has led some viewers to believe that a chilling prophecy may now be unfolding.
Following the passing of the 87 year old who founded CNN, footage from his past was unearthed, with one clip immediately igniting questions amongst social media users. The so-called "Turner Doomsday Video," is a one-minute clip produced ahead of CNN's 1980 launch and was solely intended to be broadcast should civilisation collapse.
Get the latest news from around the world and more Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
In the brief clip, Turner pledged that CNN would remain on air until the very end of the world. In the message, he said, "Barring satellite problems, we won't be signing off until the world ends.
"We'll be on, and we will cover the end of the world, live, and that will be our last event. We'll play the National Anthem only one time, on the first of June [the day CNN launched], and when the end of the world comes, we'll play 'Nearer My God To Thee' before we sign off," he continued.
The footage, which left numerous viewers deeply unsettled, was filmed outside CNN's original headquarters at the Turner Broadcasting Techwood campus in Atlanta.
It features musicians from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine bands, standing in formation and dressed in full ceremonial uniforms.
The haunting clip contains no narration or explanation of what viewers are witnessing. As noted by Turner, the band performs the Christian hymn, Nearer, My God, to Thee, a piece widely associated with the final moments aboard the Titanic. The clip runs for just over a minute before fading to black, seemingly marking the end of the broadcast — and indeed, the end of the world.
Following Turner's allusion to the "end of the world" broadcast clip in 1980, many dismissed it as nothing more than a myth. Yet the footage remained tucked away in the CNN archive for years before it finally came to light.
RIP Ted Turner.
When he launched CNN, the legendary entrepreneur commissioned a “Doomsday Video” to be used as network’s final broadcast at end of the world.
If was a semi-satirical riff on his promise that, “We won't be signing off until the world ends. We'll be on, we'll be… https://t.co/bRYzTRKRlQ pic.twitter.com/WdsDYq3yGG
The video is emblematic of Cold War-era contingency planning, yet given today's volatile political climate, it feels disturbingly pertinent.
Turner is widely credited as the pioneer of 24-hour news broadcasting, a concept that was considered utterly absurd at the time. The doomsday clip was regarded as a testament to Turner's unwavering commitment to keeping the public informed even in humanity's darkest hour.
Mounting tensions between the world's most powerful nations have led growing numbers to conclude that the end of the world may not be far away.
A March 2026 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that approximately 1 in 3 Americans believe the world will end within their lifetime, with primary causes including nuclear war and climate change.
English (US) · 