Robert Pauley

Robert Reinhold Pauley (October 17, 1923 – May 2, 2009) was an American radio broadcasting executive who served as president of the ABC Radio network during a period when it faced challenges from television as the most popular form of mass media.

Biography Pauley was born in New Canaan, Connecticut on October 17, 1923. During World War II, he served for three years in the United States Merchant Marine, attaining the rank of Lieutenant. Following the conclusion of his military service, he married Barbara Anne Cotton of Pound Ridge, NY, and attended Harvard Business School.

Radio He worked for a local radio station selling advertising and later worked in that capacity at both the CBS Radio and NBC Radio networks in New York. Upon his appointment, Pauley undertook a national tour of ABC's affiliate stations, created an affiliate advisory board (ABC's first), and revamped ABC's public service, sports, entertainment and news product including heavyweight championship boxing and Notre Dame football. ABC's exclusive coverage of the 1964 Cassius Clay versus Sonny Liston bout drew an estimated 75 million radio listeners, a record.

Television After leaving ABC, Pauley developed a plan to establish a fourth television network to offer news-only services to local stations nationwide. After one failed attempt, Independent Broadcasting, he created Television News Inc. (TVN) in 1973, with the goal of competing with the big three networks by offering an objective, bias-free product. TVN was financed by Joseph Coors. Roger Ailes, who later created Fox News Channel, was an employee. The network was terminated in 1975 when funding from Coors was withdrawn.

Pauley went on teach business and journalism at the University of South Carolina–Spartanburg, where he founded its journalism department as well as its first course in business ethics. He served there as a Distinguished Professor for 15 years. He died at age 85 on May 2, 2009 in New Haven, Connecticut due to heart and lung failure. His wife, Barbara, died in April 2014. He is survived by his three sons and a daughter.