“It’s hard to believe it’s been that long, but I’m so happy that TCM continues to be a success with audiences today,” Turner, who will be honored on the opening night of the upcoming TCM Classic Film Festival, told CNN in a recent interview conducted over email. “I think that sense of nostalgia that comes with watching old movies gives people a lot of joy, myself included; and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

Turner founded Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), the nation’s first “superstation” using satellite technology to carry its signal in 1976, just four years before he launched CNN.

His love of classic films inspired his decision to later start a channel dedicated to preserving them, TCM.

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