( CNN ) -- CNN and Turner Broadcasting System founder Ted Turner was admitted to a hospital while traveling in South America , his spokesman said Friday . The spokesman , Phillip Evans , did not indicate where specifically Turner was treated or for what ailment , saying `` it is our policy not to comment on his personal health . '' Evans said that Turner was hospitalized `` for observation . '' Argentina 's state-run Telam news agency , reported that the 75-year-old was initially treated in Bariloche , a lakeside city near the Chilean border , about 1,500 kilometers ( 940 miles ) southwest of Buenos Aires . Turner arrived at a clinic there around 4 a.m. ( 2 a.m . ET ) suffering from acute abdominal pain , according to clinic spokeswoman Paula Redondo . She told Telam that Turner was with a personal nurse and assistant . Doctors diagnosed the media magnate and philanthropist with appendicitis and recommended that he undergo surgery . Turner was flown later that morning to the capital of Buenos Aires to have the operation , according to Telam . Soon after graduating from Brown University and serving in the U.S. Coast Guard , Turner took over the family business -- Turner Advertising -- in 1963 . Seven years later , he bought TV stations in Charlotte , North Carolina , and Atlanta to kickstart a media empire that would one day include TBS , TNT , HLN , Cartoon Network , TCM and CNN , which launched in 1980 . In 1996 , Turner sold Turner Broadcasting to Time Warner , though he remained active in the business for several more years . Besides his business ventures -- including the Ted 's Montana Grill chain and the renewable energy company RT Solar -- Turner has been one of the United States most generous philanthropists , including a $ 1 billion donation to the United Nations in 1997 . CNN 's Robert Lenz contributed to this report .
Spokesman : Ted Turner is admitted to a hospital while in South America . Argentinian state news : He went to a clinic in Bariloche . Doctors determined that Turner had appendicitis , this state news report says . He was flown to Buenos Aires for surgery , according to Telam report .