Roone Arledge, former ABC Sports and News executive, died on December
5 after a battle with cancer. He was 71.
Arledge, who became President of ABC Sports
in 1968, was known as a pioneer and a innovator in sports television.
He created "Wide World of Sports" in 1961 and supervised ABC's coverage
of the Olympic Games from 1964-88. In 1970, he brought sports to prime
time and introduced the world to Howard Cosell with the creation of "Monday
Night Football."Arledge was also responsible for many technical innovations
such as slow motion and instant replay.
In 1978, Arledge was named President of
ABC News and developed such newsmagazine shows as "20/20," "PrimeTime
Live," "Nightline," and "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings."
