Charles Dolan, Cable TV Pioneer and Founder of HBO and Cablevision, Dies at 98

Dec 29, 2024, 04:40 PM

Charles Dolan, the pioneering cable television executive who founded HBO and Cablevision, has died at the age of 98. Dolan was a transformative figure in the media industry, launching Home Box Office (HBO) in the early 1970s and later building Cablevision into one of the largest cable companies in the United States. He also founded SportsChannel and AMC Networks, and acquired Madison Square Garden along with its sports teams, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. In addition to his media empire, Dolan owned Radio City Music Hall and the newspaper Newsday. He was the founder of the Lustgarten Foundation for pancreatic cancer research. A Cleveland native who resided in Long Island, New York, Dolan was instrumental in the development of cable television, securing cable rights to Knicks and Rangers playoff games in 1968 for $24,000. His family confirmed that he died of natural causes on December 28.