Frank Batten
American media executive, co-founder of The Weather Channel (1927–2009) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Frank Batten (February 11, 1927 – September 10, 2009[3]) was a co-founder of the first nationwide, 24-hour cable weather channel, The Weather Channel.[4][5] His media company, Landmark Media Enterprises, once owned nine daily newspapers, more than 50 weekly newspapers, television stations in Las Vegas and Nashville, and a national chain of classified advertising publications.
Frank Batten | |
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Born | Frank Batten (1927-02-11)February 11, 1927 Norfolk, Virginia [1] |
Died | September 10, 2009(2009-09-10) (aged 82) Norfolk, Virginia [2] |
Alma mater |
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Occupation(s) | Chairman and CEO, Landmark Communications |
Spouse | Jane Batten |
Children |
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Parent(s) | Frank Batten Dorothy Martin Batten |
Batten assumed leadership in 1954 of two newspapers, The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star in Norfolk, Virginia, parlaying those papers into a media conglomerate by acquiring other newspapers, radio stations, and television stations and establishing a cable outlet as well as the national cable weather channel. Until 2008, the company, Landmark Communications, now Landmark Media Enterprises, was one of the country’s largest privately held media companies.[6]
Batten sold TeleCable (a multi-system cable TV company) in 1995 to TCI for $1 billion[4] and the Weather Channel in 2008 to NBC Universal and two private equity firms for nearly $3.5 billion.
Batten served as chairman of the Associated Press from 1982 to 1987.