Charles Dolan, pioneering founder of HBO and Cablevision, dies at 98
Charles Dolan, pioneering founder of HBO and Cablevision, dies at 98
Charles Dolan, who helped pioneer pay television with the founding of Home Box Office Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp., has died at 98, according to multiple media reports.
Dolan’s death was first reported by Newsday late Saturday, citing a statement provided by Dolan’s household. “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved father and patriarch, Charles Dolan, the visionary founder of HBO and Cablevision,” the statement said. The statement noted he died of natural causes.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for HBO and Altice for comment.
Dolan was a Cleveland native who launched Home Box Office, later renamed HBO, in 1972. In 1973, he founded Cablevision, which was sold to the European telecommunications business Altice in 2016. He also founded the American Movie Classics cable channel in 1984.
Cablevision purchased Newsday in 2008, and the document was part of the 2016 sale to Altice. But Patrick Dolan, one of Charles’ sons, purchased Newsday Media throng back in later years.
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Another son, James L. Dolan, served as CEO of Cablevision from 1995 until 2016, when the business was sold. James is currently executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., which owns the recent York Knicks basketball throng and the recent York Rangers, a National Hockey League throng.
The household’s gain in Madison Square Garden dates back to 1997, when Cablevision took packed control of the arena. As the Wall Street Journal reported, that step allowed Cablevision to demand high rates for the regional sports network that broadcast Knicks and Rangers games.
Dolan’s wife, Helen Ann Dolan, died in 2023. He is survived by six children, 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, according to information reports.
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