Ted Turner’s CNN "Doomsday Video" Resurfaces After Media Mogul’s Death

An eerie CNN video commissioned by media mogul Ted Turner decades ago has resurfaced online following his death at 87 years old.

The clip, often referred to online as the “doomsday video,” was reportedly created shortly after CNN launched in 1980 and was intended to air only if the world came to an end.

According to the New York Post, the haunting footage featured military bands from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines performing the Christian hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee” outside CNN’s original headquarters in Atlanta.

Turner reportedly insisted that CNN would remain on the air until civilization itself collapsed.

“Barring satellite problems, we won’t be signing off until the world ends,” Turner said at the time. He also reportedly stated, “We’ll be on, and we will cover it live, and that will be our last, last event.”

Turner added: “We’ll play the national anthem only one time, on the 1st 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 allegedly remained archived inside CNN for years under the label “TURNER DOOMSDAY VIDEO,” alongside instructions that read, “HFR [hold for release] till end of world confirmed.” The footage later resurfaced publicly in 2015 after former CNN intern Michael Ballaban shared a copy online that he reportedly discovered during a 2009 internship at the network.

The resurfaced clip also sparked discussion online because of Turner’s decision to use the hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” a Christian song historically associated with tragedy and mourning. Despite using the hymn in the CNN recording, Turner previously spoke publicly about struggling with organized religion after the death of his sister, Mary Jean Turner, who died from lupus in 1965.

Over the years, Turner described himself as spiritually curious and openly discussed his criticism of certain religious teachings, particularly ideas surrounding damnation and judgment. Still, religion occasionally influenced Turner’s public statements and projects throughout his career, including the now-infamous CNN “doomsday video.”

Following news of Turner’s death, the resurfaced footage quickly spread across social media, where viewers described the clip as both eerie and emotional.

“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,” one YouTube commenter wrote.

Another user noted, "To people complaining that this is boring, THAT'S THE ENTIRE POINT. If we see this, it means the apocalypse is happening, there are more important things to attend to in an immient apocalypse, such as saying goodbye to your loved ones."