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Bill Rasmussen, who conceived the idea of a cable network devoted to sports and co-founded ESPN, died Tuesday at 93 from the effects of Parkinson's disease, the network reported.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement that Rasmussen was "a visionary and an innovator" whose passion and entrepreneurial spirit shaped the company's culture from its founding in the late 1970s.
"None of us would be here today if it wasn't for Bill," Pitaro said. He described that culture as something that still carries on at ESPN today. The idea for the network came during a traffic stop in 1978.
Rasmussen and his son Scott were discussing programming options for a satellite transponder the two had acquired from RCA when Rasmussen proposed a cable channel devoted entirely to sports.
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