Ted Turner's Eerie 'Doomsday Video' Intended to Air at the 'End of the World' Resurfaces — After CNN Founder's Death at Age 87
Ted Turner taped a video to be aired at the 'end of the world.'
May 6 2026, Published 4:40 p.m. ET
Ted Turner, who died Wednesday at age 87, passed away before ever needing to see his secret "Doomsday Video" broadcast to the world, RadarOnline.com can report.
The CNN founder created the apocalyptic video decades ago, with the intent of airing the chilling message as the news network's final video ever – at the end of the world.
It's the End of The World, and He Knew It
Turner organized an armed forces band to play 'Nearer, My God, to Thee' as the final video for CNN.
Just moments after members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine bands recorded a stirring rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner to kick off the start of CNN in 1980, Turner asked if they would record a song, just in case the world came to an end.
The collection of bands performed the Christian hymn "Nearer, My God, To Thee" in front of CNN's original headquarters in Atlanta, with the media mogul instructing that his new news network stay on the air, and the recording be played.
"Barring satellite problems, we won't be signing off until the world ends," Turner promised at CNN's launch. "We'll be on, and we will cover it [the end of the world] live, and that will be our last, last event."
"We'll play the National Anthem only one time, on the first of June [1980], and when the end of the world comes, we'll play 'Nearer My God To Thee' before we sign off."
The Video Leaked in 2015
The video was hidden in the company's archives.
For years, the video's existence was merely a myth until a former CNN intern leaked it in 2015. Michael Ballaban, who was a writer for Jalopnik at the time, posted a copy of the video that he had recorded during his 2009 internship with the cable news network.
The tape had been stored in CNN's archives, filed under the all-caps heading of "TURNER DOOMSDAY VIDEO" with a stated restriction of "HFR [hold for release] till end of the world confirmed."
People who had previously seen the video shared the same sentiments.
"This is so sad. Hopefully we’ll never have to view this," One person commented, as another agreed: "I never wish to see this broadcast in my lifetime."
'Sent Chills Through My Body'
Turner created a cable television empire.
One person confessed, "It actually sent chills through my body knowing what this video means."
A fourth person noted the significance of the song: "The chilling thing is that what's being played is 'Nearer My God To Thee', which is also supposedly the same song that was played whilst the RMS Titanic went down. Kind of appropriate in a terrifyingly sad way that this is played when all hope is lost and we reflect on our final moments and the times leading up to then."
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Ted Signs Off
Turner died on Wednesday.
Ted Turner's final moments came early Wednesday morning. The cable innovator oversaw a global television empire in the 1980s that saw the creation of CNN, TBS, TNT and more.
While the cause of his death was not released, in early 2025, Turner revealed that he had Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder, shortly before he turned 80 in 2018.
"Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless, and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgment," Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement. "He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN.
"Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world."
