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{{Infobox person
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|name=Bob Turner
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Revision as of 03:24, 12 September 2011

For other people named Robert Turner, see Robert Turner (disambiguation).
Bob Turner
File:Bob Turner9thcongressional.jpg
Born
Robert L. Turner

May 1941 (age 83)
EducationBachelor of Arts in history
Alma materSt. John's University (New York)
OccupationMedia executive (retired)
Years active40 years in media business[1]
politician since 2010
Notable workThe Jerry Springer Show
The Rush Limbaugh television show
Political partyRepublican
Conservative Party of New York State
Liberal Party of New York[2]
Opponent(s)Anthony Weiner (2010),
David Weprin (2011)
Board member ofReadspeak Inc.,
Liberty Imaging Inc.,
Achilles Track Club,
Family Focus Adoption Services.[1]
SpousePeggy Turner (1965-present)
ChildrenFive
WebsiteBob Turner for Congress

Robert L. "Bob" Turner, (born May 2, 1941)[3] is a retired businessman and former advertising and television industry executive.[4] He is the Republican Party nominee for U.S. Congress in New York's 9th congressional district special election of September 13, 2011 to replace Democrat Anthony Weiner.

Turner has never held elected office though he did run against Weiner in November 2010 and received 41% of the vote. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by 3-to-1 in the district,[5] but an early September poll is showing Turner ahead of his Democratic opponent, David Weprin, by six points.[6]

Early life and education

Turner grew up in the Woodhaven and Richmond Hill neighborhoods of Queens, the eldest of three sons. He attended St. Thomas The Apostle School and Richmond Hill High School.[1] He graduated from St. John's University in New York with a B.A.in history, after having worked his way through college.[1] He also served in the Army at the rank of SP5.[1]

Business career

Turner's most notable position was President of Multimedia Entertainment, a division of media conglomerate Multimedia, Inc., from 1991 to 1995. In his first year, he created and launched Rush Limbaugh's television talk show and The Jerry Springer Show.[7] He also oversaw the production of shows that were established before his tenure such as The Phil Donahue Show, and The Sally Jesse Raphael Show.[8][9] Jerry Springer recalled that he and Turner had a friendly relationship, and that Turner was a very blunt, no-nonsense businessman.[8] Though he shelved several episodes as inappropriate, Turner stuck by the Springer show despite a public relations backlash.[9] [10] Talk show industry profits and revenues declined in the mid-1990s[11] and Multimedia Entertainment was sold to Gannett Corporation for $2.1 billion in 1995 with Turner helping to orchestrate the sale.[1][12] Gannett ended Rush Limbaugh's television show, which had seen a drop in ratings and[13] and Turner's 24-hour news talk station, the All-Talk Channel. Turner later reflected that the All-Talk Channel could have worked if it had been given more time.

In 1984, Turner co-founded and ran Orbis Communications,[14] a distributor of advertiser funded programming.[1] He supplied Proctor and Gamble with a movie library and created the P&G Movie Network. He sold Orbis Communications and remained President until he went to Multimedia.[1] In the interim, he was President and CEO of North American television operations for the London-based Pearson PLC where he set strategies, helped integrate the U.S. operations into the international company, and exported the talk show format to Europe, launching six shows in two years.[1] He also reorganized and redirected the successful program Baywatch and launched new versions of Family Feud and To Tell the Truth.[1][15]

Other positions held by Turner included President of LBS Communications, a division of Grey Advertising, where he acquired the series "Family" for its first distribution and syndication and created a daytime "barter network" for that series, and for new episodes the MGM show, Fame.[1] He also served as Director of Advertising for Bristol-Myers Company, where he began the production of the Leonard Nimoy series, In Search Of..., and was also the first General Manager of CBS Cable.[1]

During his active business career, Turner founded and served as the president of the Association of Syndicated Television Advertisers and was was on the boards of the National Association of Television Programming Executives and the Advertising Research Council. He also served on the television committee of the Association of National Advertisers.[1]

While in his early 60s, Turner retired from full-time business activities but continued to manage his own investments including a hotel business in Orlando Florida.[1] He sits on several Boards of Directors as well including Readspeak Inc., Liberty Imaging Inc., the Achilles Track Club and Family Focus Adoption Services.[1]

Political career

Turner came out of retirement to run against Anthony Weiner, seeking and winning the Republican and Conservative Party of New York nominations. He lost to Weiner in the November 2010 election in a 60-40 split. After Weiner's resignation, Turner remarked that the "sexting scandal" was a reflection of dangerous liberalism in Congress,[16]. Turner is running for Weiner's now-vacant seat in New York's 9th congressional district special election, to be held September 13, 2011.

One of Turner's campaign themes has fiscal recovery via cuts in federal spending.[17][18] He has also run ads and sent mailers attacking Weprin for supporting construction of Park51, a planned Islamic community center located near the World Trade Center site, saying that Weprin wants to commemorate the attack by building a mosque on Ground Zero.[19]

Some Orthodox Jews (who comprise 25% of the district) have switched their support from the Democratic Party candidate, Weprin, who is an Orthodox Jew, to the Roman Catholic Turner because Weprin voted for same sex marriage, and because of President Obama's statements on negotiations with the Palestinians,[6] with many local rabbis endorsing Turner.[20][21] Other endorsements have come from The Jewish Voice,[22] The New York Post, the New York Daily News,[23] Democratic New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind,[24], former Mayor Rudy Guiliani,[25] and former Mayor Ed Koch who has been a key Turner supporter, claiming Weprin is insufficiently pro-Israel.[19]

Republican U.S. Representative Michael Grimm has also supported Turner, saying he would fight for a Balanced Budget Amendment in Congress.[26] Crain's New York Business opined that if Turner should win, the New York Republican Party would be more likely to push for a "super Jewish" congressional district, extending the influence of Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish community.[27]

Turner began the campaign with a disadvantage in fundraising because the national and state Republican parties had been burnt out from previous special elections losses in New York state.[28] Turner also turned down Tea Party support and offers to help during his campaign.[29] Regardless, Turner rose in the polls, rising from an underdog to an 8-point advantage just days before the election.[6] The Democratic Party began contributing heavily to Weprin in the last weeks of the race, as Turner's odds of winning increased.[30]

Political positions

Turner states he came out of retirement to run for Congress to: "fix what’s broken and go home. End subsidies. End government dependencies. Dramatically cut the budget by 30 or 35 percent. Slash capital-gains taxes down to zero. Cut taxes across the board."[4]

A strong supporter of Israel and the U.S.-Israeli relationship, Turner has been critical of statements made by President Obama regarding the use of the 1967 borders as a basis for a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.[31] He has said that the Palestinian Authority should not receive any U.S. aid because of its terrorist attacks and organizations, most notably the recent series of rocket attacks on Israel.[32] Turner opposed the building of the mosque and Islamic community center near the World Trade Center site, and supported federal intervention to stop its construction.[33]

To resolve the U.S. debt, he has said he would cut federal spending by 35 percent by eliminating of the U.S Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency and reducing the size of the Department of Education.[17][18] He signed the Grover Norquist pledge of "no new taxes under any circumstances" in 2010, but in his 2011 campaign he has said that revenues can be increased through closing tax loopholes.[34] He supports the elimination of the capital gains tax and government subsidies.[4] He also supports raising the eligibility age for Social Security.[33]

On immigration, Turner has stated that an immigration system is already in place and there is no need to create a new one to address those in the U.S. illegally. He opposes amnesty for illegal aliens.[35]

On social issues, Turner is pro-life and personally supports the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that restricts marriage by same-sex partners—however, he has chosen not to make DOMA a campaign issue.[36][37] On health care, Turner has stated that he supports neither Obamacare, nor Republican Congressman Paul Ryan's plan of privatizing Medicare by giving seniors vouchers to purchase private health insurance.[38]

Personal life

Turner has been married to Peggy Turner, a foster care nurse for special needs children, for 46 years.[1] The couple has five adult children and 13 grandchildren.[1] In August 2011, Turner revealed for the first time, the couple's 1986 adoption of C.J. Holmstrom, an HIV-positive orphan, and the son of Rosemary Holmstrom, who had gained media attention on daytime talk shows discussing the death of her husband from AIDS.[39][40]

Electoral history

2010 Election results, U.S. House District 9
November 2, 2010[41]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Anthony Weiner (incumbent) 47,004 59
Republican Bob Turner 33,330 41
Democratic hold

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "About Bob". Bob Turner for Congress. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  2. ^ Siegel, Harry (2011-08-12). "Bob Turner To Claim Liberal Party Endorsement, Worth To Be Determined - New York News - Runnin' Scared". Blogs.villagevoice.com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  3. ^ "Project Vote Smart - Robert L. 'Bob' Turner - Biography". Votesmart.org. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  4. ^ a b c "The Bonfire on the Hill - By Bob Turner - The Corner - National Review Online". Nationalreview.com. 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  5. ^ "Robert Turner - Election Results". PoliGu. 2011-08-22.
  6. ^ a b c Thomas Kaplan and Kate Taylor (September 9, 2011). "Fearing loss of a house seat, Democrats make a late push". The New York Times. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  7. ^ Elise Foley (September 2, 2011). "Bob Turner Put Rush Limbaugh On Television, He's Proud To Say". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Hawkins, Andrew J. (2011-08-29). "Bob Turner, Jerry Springer And The Cowboy Outfit". Cityhallnews.com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  9. ^ a b Daniel Bates (2011-08-09). "How the man who created Jerry Springer's show may replace Anthony Weiner in Congress | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  10. ^ Michael Barbaro (September 7, 2011). "TV Executive Behind 'Springer' Tries to Win House Seat for G.O.P." The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Text "accessdate-September 10, 2011" ignored (help)
  11. ^ Bragg, Chris (2011-08-31). "During Bob Turner's Tenure Running Talk Show Company, A Sharp Drop in Profits". Cityhallnews.com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  12. ^ "Syndie's revolving door. (executive changes at television syndicates)(Brief Article) | HighBeam Business: Arrive Prepared". Business.highbeam.com. 1996-03-18. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  13. ^ "Multimedia Entertainment. (Rush Limbaugh's show is top-rated show on syndication) (Brief Article) | HighBeam Business: Arrive Prepared". Business.highbeam.com. 1995-02-27. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  14. ^ Cynthia Littleton (June 10, 1996). "All American buys Orbis. (All American Communications, Orbis Entertainment)(Brief Article" (Subscription required). Broadcasting & Cable.
  15. ^ "In Weiner's district, a GOP candidate stumps for the protest vote". NYPOST.com. 2011-08-20. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  16. ^ "New York GOP Should Pick Bob Turner for CD-9 Special Election". RedState. 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  17. ^ a b "GOP hopeful Bob Turner pushes budget cuts in race to replace Weiner, admits to 'blatant pandering'". Nydailynews.com. 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  18. ^ a b "> Archives > Queens > Weprin, Turner debate draws hecklers". YourNabe.com. 2011-08-28. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  19. ^ a b Domenick Rafter (August 18, 2011). "Turner's 9/11 Ad Painful For Some". Queens Tribune On Line. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  20. ^ "Community Magazine". Communitym.com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  21. ^ "GOP candidate Bob Turner banks on Obama disenchantment - Alex Isenstadt". Politico.Com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  22. ^ Malone, Noreen. "Why the Dems Are Worried About the Race for Anthony Weiner's Seat - Daily Intel". Nymag.com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  23. ^ Reddy, Sumathi (2011-09-02). "Missing Rep. Weiner - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  24. ^ Adam Dickter. "Hikind Endorses Republican In Special Congress Race". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  25. ^ Howard, Michael (2011-08-16). "Giuliani Nods to Republican in Queens Bid - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  26. ^ "The Campaign Trail | www.timesnewsweekly.com". Times Newsweekly. 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  27. ^ http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20110826/INS/110829937
  28. ^ Thomas Kaplan (September 2, 2011). "David Weprin Leads Bob Turner in Fund-Raising for House Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  29. ^ Patrick Brennan (2011-09-05). "A Scott Brown in Queens? - Patrick Brennan - National Review Online". Nationalreview.com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  30. ^ "David Weprin getting late help from Dems - Alex Isenstadt". Politico.Com. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  31. ^ "Robert Turner - Israel". PoliGu. 2011-08-22.
  32. ^ "The Yeshiva World Turner Offers $1,000 Reward To Decipher Weprin Palestinian Authority Remarks « » Frum Jewish News". Theyeshivaworld.com. 2011-08-05. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  33. ^ a b "The Daily News endorses Bob Turner over David Weprin for Congress to replace Anthony Weiner". Nydailynews.com. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  34. ^ "Bob Turner hedges on "no new taxes" pledge". Brooklyn Politics. July 28, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  35. ^ "Robert Turner - Immigration". PoliGu. 2011-08-22.
  36. ^ "Robert Turner - Abortion". PoliGu. 2011-08-22.
  37. ^ "Koch To Turner: Don't Go There On Gay Marriage | New York Daily News". Nydailynews.com. 2011-09-02. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  38. ^ "Robert Turner - The Paul Ryan Plan". PoliGu. 2011-08-22.
  39. ^ "ICYMI: Bob Turner And Wife Were Mystery Couple Who Adopted Young Boy From HIV+ Mom | New York Daily News". Nydailynews.com. 2011-08-22. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  40. ^ A movie, A Mother's Prayer, was produced in 1995 based on Rosemary's life.
  41. ^ "2010 Election results, U.S. House District 9". November 3, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
Business positions
Preceded by
{{{before}}}
 President of Multimedia Entertainment
1991-1995 		Succeeded by
Richard Coveny

Template:Persondata

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