Ted Turner on CNN today: Would like to see a "little less fluff"

(CBS News) Thursday on "CBS This Morning," Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and founder and chairman of the United Nations Foundation, joined Charlie Rose to reflect on his legacy, politics, his $1 billion philanthropic pledge and the causes he cares about.

Turner said his greatest success in business is CNN but in life, it is his family. "If you don't make a success of raising your family, it's hard to be a success at anything," the media mogul said.

Touching on the state of CNN as a news network today, Turner said there is "a lot I like about it, and there are a few things I would change. I'd like to see more emphasis on hard news and international news and a little less fluff."

He admitted that selling CNN was "of course" one of his biggest regrets and explained, "I didn't think I was selling it but I got maneuvered out...I had 10 percent of Time Warner stock after the merger, I really took over Time Warner, but when we were merged with Aol, I was diluted diluted down to 3 percent." He said the day of the Aol merger was one of the worst of his life.

Turning to his current focus -- his personal causes -- Turner said he cares about nuclear proliferation, population issues and global climate change and said he does not think any of those issues have been thoroughly addressed during the presidential campaign.

At first steering clear of political stances, Turner said the current presidential candidates are "two of our best men...I think either of them would do a pretty decent job." But when pushed on the issue, he allowed, "I like Obama's policies better."

Turning to the political arena outside of the White House, Turner bemoaned the current sense of bipartisan gridlock within Congress. "I'd like to go back to where Republicans and Democrats were Americans first and members of their party second," he said.

Of his own previous political aspirations, Turner said he did not run for president due to the wishes of then-wife Jane Fonda, but says even after their split he did not seriously consider running, adding "Without a first lady, you can't run for president."

Watch Turner's full interview in the video above.