Charles Dolan, the visionary whose pioneering work laid the foundation for cable television as we know it, has died at the age of 98. News of his passing was reported yesterday, with statements from his family indicating that he died of natural causes. "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," his family said in a statement obtained by Newsday.

The legacy Dolan leaves behind includes not only the 1972 launch of Home Box Office, known as HBO, but also the creation of Cablevision one year later in 1973, and the American Movie Classics television station in 1984. He continued to actively shape the industry by introducing News 12 in New York City, the nation's first 24-hour local news cable channel, reflecting his unwavering belief in the capacity to forever transform media consumption. According to Newsday, Dolan also had a controlling interest in the iconic Madison Square Garden and its related entities, including the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.

His journey in media and entertainment extended beyond his professional endeavors into philanthropic efforts. Dolan was a founder and then chairman emeritus of The Lustgarten Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Uniondale, New York, dedicated to the research on pancreatic cancer. 

Charles Dolan hailed from Cleveland and had made Cove Neck Village on Long Island in New York his primary home. After completing a significant deal, he sold Cablevision to Altice for $17.7 billion in 2016. Furthermore, one of his sons, James L. Dolan, previously the CEO of Cablevision, now serves as the executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., as expressed on the MSG Sports website. Patrick Dolan, another son, led a group to repurchase a controlling stake in Newsday Media Group following the sale to Altice. A spokesperson told Fox Business, "Remembered as both a trailblazer in the television industry and a devoted family man, his legacy will live on."

Survived by six children, 19 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, Dolan's life was one surrounded by a large family, alongside his business achievements. His wife, Helen Ann Dolan, passed away in the previous year. At his time of death, Forbes had reported Charles Dolan and his family's net worth to be $5.4 billion.