Dec. 29 (UPI) -- HBO creator and billionaire Charles Dolan has died at the age of 98. A long-time media entrepreneur, Dolan was selling special programming to hotels through his Teleguide service as cable television was beginning to emerge as an entertainment option in rural areas in the 1960s.

Charles Dolan, a cable pioneer and patriarch of the Dolan media family, died Dec. 28 of natural causes, Newsday reported. He was 98.

"Sometimes A Great Notion" was the first movie ever shown on HBO, then known as Home Box Office Inc., the premium cable service that would change television forever. It was the brainchild of Charles Dolan.

Charles Dolan, who helped pioneer pay television, is dead at 98, his family confirms. He founded HBO and Cablevision, among other ventures.

Charles F. Dolan, who founded some of the most prominent U.S. media companies including Home Box Office Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp., has died at age 98.

The Cablevision founder helped usher in a new era for television. He also acquired sports and entertainment properties including MSG and the New York Knicks.

Charles Dolan, known for founding Home Box Office, aka HBO, passed on Dec 28, 2024. He leaves behind a life of entrepreneurship and service. HBO has become a mainstay in Hollywood