The 'C' of CNN stands for CABLE. CNN, or the CABLE News Network, is an American news-based pay television channel owned by WarnerMedia News & Sports, a division of AT&T's WarnerMedia. It was founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour CABLE news channel. CNN provides international coverage for the US and around the world, and is one of the most widely distributed news networks in the world.