Salutes and remembrances have continued for Charles Dolan, a media pioneer who based HBO and Cablevision, after his demise on Saturday.
Dolan, the patriarch of a billionaire media household with appreciable holdings within the larger New York space, died at age 98 of pure causes. During his extraordinary decades-long run in media, he helped create the pay-TV period by conceiving of the thought for HBO, constructing a significant cable supplier and launching the primary regional sports activities and information networks. His household additionally went on to achieve management of many prized New York City property, amongst them the NBA’s Knicks and the NHL’s Rangers and their dwelling area, Madison Square Garden. Cablevision was offered in 2016 to Altice in a $17.7 billion deal.
In an announcement supplied to Deadline, AMC Networks (the operator of AMC and different networks, which spun off from Cablevision in 2011 and continues to be managed by the Dolans) stated it “mourns the loss of our founder and longtime chairman.” Dolan, the assertion went on, was “a visionary, a bold and fearless entrepreneur and, most importantly, a wonderful family man. His dedication and perseverance led him to build companies that profoundly reshaped media and technology. He recognized early on that a television distribution business is only as good as the quality and diversity of programming it offers to viewers. Through Rainbow Media – which later became AMC Networks – he sought to redefine and raise that bar in so many ways as the industry grew and evolved. His visionary spirit will live on through the programming brands and businesses he created and the people who embody the values he held so dear.”
Dolan offered his stake in HBO in 1974 to Time Inc., which might go on to kind Time Warner earlier than evolving into present mum or dad firm Warner Bros. Discovery.
David Zaslav, CEO of WBD, referred to as Dolan “a visionary creative, an extraordinary business leader and a great friend whose creation of HBO forever changed the quality and prestige of storytelling on television. His impact continues to be felt today at HBO, Warner Bros. Discovery and across our entire industry. He will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to the entire Dolan family.”
Tributes additionally proliferated on-line. Ben Tatta, a media government who spent 10 years at Cablevision, wrote in a LinkedIn submit that Dolan’s legacy “is not only etched in the evolution of television but also in the hearts and minds of those who knew him. His lifelong commitment to innovation and family serves as an enduring inspiration. As we mourn his loss, we also celebrate a life that had enormous impact on the world of entertainment and the countless lives he touched.”
Stan Fischler, a Hall of Fame NHL broadcaster who labored at SportsChannel, the trailblazing regional sports activities community launched by Dolan within the Seventies, hailed the late exec on X. He referred to as him “a gentleman, a scholar, a visionary and – best of all – just a great guy to work for and to know. R.I.P. Boss.”
Dolan and his household grew to become fixtures on Long Island, the suburban redoubt east of New York City the place Cablevision was lengthy primarily based. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman wrote on X that “‘Chuck’ was a hugely successful business leader, philanthropist, veteran, and proud Nassau resident who will be missed dearly.”