TURNER REGRETS CNN FIASCO; CABLE CHANNEL FOUNDER OFFERS APOLOGIES FOR NERVE-GAS STORY.Byline: Keith Marder Daily News Television Writer Ted Turner For other persons named Ted Turner, see Ted Turner (disambiguation). Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19 1938 on Friday called the CNN CNN or Cable News Network Subsidiary company of Turner Broadcasting Systems. It was created by Ted Turner in 1980 to present 24-hour live news broadcasts, using satellites to transmit reports from news bureaus around the world. airing - and subsequent retraction In the law of Defamation, a formal recanting of the libelous or slanderous material. Retraction is not a defense to defamation, but under certain circumstances, it is admissible in Mitigation of Damages. Cross-references Libel and Slander. - of a report alleging U.S. use of nerve gas nerve gas, any of several poison gases intended for military use, e.g., tabun, sarin, soman, and VX. Nerve gases were first developed by Germany during World War II but were not used at that time. during the Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. ``the most horrible nightmare that I ever lived through.'' The vice chairman of Time Warner and founder of Cable News Network made no excuses for the fiasco that grew out of the June 7 launch of the all-news channel's news magazine, ``NewsStand: CNN & Time.'' Turner, addressing the Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (or TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming. They meet in the Los Angeles area twice a year, in January and July, in conferences known as Winter and Summer , apologized emphatically and hyperbolically to viewers - and more specifically, war veterans. ``I'm obviously very embarrassed, very sad,'' Turner said. ``If committing mass suicide Mass suicide occurs when a number of people kill themselves together and/or for the same reason. Examples Mass suicide sometimes occurs in religious or cultic settings. would help, I've even given that some consideration. If I thought it would do good, if anybody had a whip here, I would just take my shirt off and beat myself until I am bloody on the back, if it would make anybody feel better. I feel that bad. I couldn't hurt any more if I was bleeding.'' The report stated that sarin sarin (zärēn`), volatile liquid used as a nerve gas. It boils at 147°C; but evaporates quickly at room temperature; its vapor is colorless and odorless. , a deadly nerve gas, was used in Operation Tailwind, a U.S. raid into Laos in 1970 to find, and kill, American defectors. As it turned out, the story was aired before it could be sufficiently verified. The contested report has sullied CNN's reputation. Turner twice cited a recent Gallup poll, compiled before the incident, that named CNN as the most trusted news source in the United States. ``Losing to the Yankees (in the 1996 World Series) after being up two games to none doesn't even come (close), nothing,'' Turner added. ``The breakup of two marriages, the death of my father - this ranks as one of the greatest catastrophes, probably the greatest catastrophe, in my life.'' Although the story has not been proved false, the incident in Laos never happened as far as Turner is concerned. ``I do not believe it to be true,'' he said. ``Whether I believe it to be true or not still, we didn't have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. It wouldn't carry a jury with what we had, so we shouldn't have gone with it.'' Two CNN producers were fired as a result of the incident. The station also has set up a standards and practices division to help avoid similar situations. ``It was an honest mistake,'' Turner said. ``It shouldn't have happened, but it did. Remember that phrase, `Manure happens,' you know the bumper stickers, and we're in the process of wiping it off ourselves.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Ted Turner ``The most horrible nightmare'' |
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