Former CBS executive James H. Rosenfield Sr. dies at 97
James H. Rosenfield Sr., the former CBS executive who oversaw its network, news, entertainment and sports operations, has died. He was 97. He died on September 26, as reported by Deadline on September 28.
Rosenfield served as executive vice president of CBS Broadcast Group. He also served as president of the CBS Television Network, the arm of the organisation that commissions and schedules programmes for its affiliated stations and viewers.
His brief as executive vice president covered four parts of the business. Those were the CBS Television Network, CBS News, CBS Entertainment and CBS Sports.
That put him at the centre of both the commercial schedule and the newsroom. It was a role that joined programme decisions, news operations and sports rights under one senior manager.
He retired from CBS in 1985. He then became president of JHR Associates, where he advised companies working in broadcasting, cable, interactive media, the internet and games.
The later consulting work spanned several shifts in distribution. It moved from traditional over-the-air broadcasting through cable and into early interactive and internet services.
Outside CBS, Rosenfield served as president of the International Radio & Television Society, an industry body for broadcasters, advertisers and programme makers. He was also a lifetime fellow of the International Council of the Television Academy, an honour given for sustained service to television beyond a single programme or network.
A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 30. It will be held at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 W 76th St in New York, according to Deadline.
