Bill Rasmussen, sports TV visionary and founder of ESPN, dies at 93

Bill Rasmussen, whose vision and ambition fueled the 1979 launch of ESPN as the world's first 24-hour television network, died Tuesday. He was 93.

Rasmussen died at his Florida home from the effects of Parkinson's disease.

With son Scott, Rasmussen conceived of the initial idea of ESPN -- first, as solely a Connecticut venture, and then as a 24-hour national sports network.

It was a moment for risk-taking. In the late 1970s, not many people thought a round-the-clock cable sports network had any chance. Bill Rasmussen, who had just been fired as communications director of the New England Whalers, was one of them. He maxed out his credit card, and with his $9,000 advance, acquired valuable space on a communications satellite.

"Bill was a remarkable man -- a visionary and an innovator who conceived the idea of a network entirely devoted to sports," ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. "Quite simply, none of us would be here today if it wasn't for Bill's passion and all the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit he put into building ESPN in the late 1970s -- key aspects of our company culture that still carry on to this day."

Rasmussen knocked on doors, talking to all the major sports leagues, the top cable operators and an array of investors. He gained backing, and on Sept. 7, 1979, the Entertainment and Sports Programming network was born. Bill and Scott Rasmussen co-founded ESPN, with Bill serving as ESPN's first president and CEO.

Though Rasmussen left ESPN after a few years, he laid the groundwork for future growth. A meeting with the NFL did not bring immediate results, but a door was opened to what would eventually become "Monday Night Football" on ESPN.

"Bill was our George Washington and a good friend," said veteran anchor Chris Berman, who joined ESPN three weeks after the original network launch in 1979. "He was such a grateful person and every sports fan can be grateful for Bill. He wasn't a glass half-full guy; his glass was always overflowing with optimism. He greeted everyone with a smile and we can all smile knowing Bill's legacy."

After leaving ESPN, Rasmussen contributed to a number of other media ventures and chronicled his experience in public speaking engagements. He also wrote a book about his ESPN experience, "Sports Junkies Rejoice: The Birth of ESPN."

"I believe the harder you work, the luckier you are," Rasmussen told Forbes in a 2012 interview. "That's been my mantra forever. Growing up at the end of the Depression and going into World War II, it was instilled in us that we would be positive and do things. I've been touring college campuses over the past three years, speaking to student groups, and I encourage budding entrepreneurs to pursue their ideas, even if they don't understand all the logistics."

Rasmussen was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Lois, in 2011. He is survived by two sons, Scott Rasmussen and his wife Laura, and Glenn Rasmussen; his daughter Lynn Van Hollebeke and her husband Louie, seven grandchildren (Andy, P.J., Wil, MaryAnn, Donna, Jessica and Sarah); a great-grandson, Otto, and a great-granddaughter, Adelaide. In addition to his wife, Rasmussen was predeceased by his brothers Robert and Donald Rasmussen, sister Vivien and grandson Justin Van Hollebeke.

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