Founder of HBO, Cablevision Dead at 98

Charles F. Dolan, who founded some of the most prominent US media companies including Home Box Office Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp., has died at age 98. A statement issued by his family said Dolan died of natural causes, Newsday reports. "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.

• Dolan launched Home Box Office, later known as HBO, in 1972, He founded Cablevision in 1973 and the American Movie Classics television station in 1984. He also launched News 12 in New York City, the first 24-hour cable channel for local news in the US.

• Dolan, whose primary home was in Cove Neck Village on Long Island, also held controlling stakes in companies that owned Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the New York Knicks, and the New York Rangers, Newsday reports.
• A statement from MSG Entertainment, MSG Sports, and Sphere Entertainment recalled Dolan's "vision." "Mr. Dolan's vision built the foundation for the companies we are today, and as a member of our Boards he continued to help shape our future. The impact he made on the media, sports, and entertainment industries, including as the founder of Cablevision and HBO, is immeasurable," the statement said. "We do not expect this to directly or indirectly change ownership by the Dolan family."
• The Cleveland native, who served in the US Army Air Forces at the end of World War II and later dropped out of John Carroll University, completed the sale of Cablevision to Altice, a European telecommunications and cable company, for $17.7 billion in June 2016, the AP reports.
• Dolan is survived by six children, 19 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. His wife, Helen Ann Dolan, died in 2023.

(More Charles Dolan stories.)