A decades-old “doomsday” video created by late Ted Turner has resurfaced online following his death at 87. The clip, often referred to as the “CNN Doomsday Video,” was reportedly created before the launch of CNN in 1980.
According to The Mirror US, it was designed to air only if civilization collapsed and the network was preparing to permanently go off air.
The resurfaced footage has gone viral on social media, with many users calling it eerie.
What did Ted Turner say in the clip?
In the archived message, Turner promised CNN would continue broadcasting until the very end. “Barring satellite problems, we won’t be signing off until the world ends,” he said, according to The Mirror US.
Turner added: “We’ll be on, and we will cover the end of the world, live, and that will be our last event.”
He also revealed what viewers would see before the network’s final signoff. “When the end of the world comes, we’ll play ‘Nearer My God To Thee’ before we sign off.”
Also Read: Trump mourns ‘friend’ and CNN founder Ted Turner, calls him ‘one of the greats of broadcast history’
The video
The footage shows musicians from the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine bands standing in ceremonial formation outside CNN’s original headquarters at the Turner Broadcasting Techwood campus in Atlanta.
The musicians perform Nearer, My God, to Thee, a Christian hymn famously associated with the final moments of the RMS Titanic sinking.
The clip contains no additional narration and fades to black after just over a minute.
Also Read: Who is Jane Fonda? All on Ted Turner’s 2021 divorce settlement with Hollywood icon
Why the clip became legendary
For years, many believed the so-called “doomsday tape” was merely an urban myth. However, the footage reportedly remained archived within CNN before eventually resurfacing publicly online.
The video reflected Cold War-era anxieties, when fears of nuclear conflict heavily shaped American media and public consciousness.
The clip has gained fresh attention after Turner’s death and amid rising concerns over geopolitical conflict and global instability.
According to The Mirror US, a March 2026 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that nearly one in three Americans believe the world could end within their lifetime, with nuclear war and climate change cited among the biggest fears.
