Charles Dolan, who founded famous American media companies such as Home Box Office Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp., has died at the age of 98, according to a news report.
His family said in a statement released Saturday that Dolan died of natural causes, Newsday reported late Saturday.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Charles Dolan, our beloved father and pioneering founder of HBO and Cablevision,” the statement said.
Newsday has been owned by Dolan’s son, Patrick Dolan, since Cablevision acquired Newsday Media Group in 2008, the newspaper reported.
Dolan’s cable broadcasting legacy includes launching Home Box Office, commonly known as HBO, in 1972, founding Cablevision in 1973, and founding the American Movie Classics television station in 1984. He also launched News 12 in New York City, the first 24-hour cable. Newsday reported local news channels in the United States.
Dolan, who is based in Cove Neck Village on Long Island, New York, also holds a controlling stake in the company that owns Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers, Newsday reported.
James Dolan, another of Charles Dolan’s sons, is currently the CEO of Madison Square Garden Company, which manages sports teams and sports and entertainment venues.
Dolan is survived by five children, 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Newsday reported that his wife, Helen Ann Dolan, died in 2023.
