Bill Daniels

Robert W. "Bill" Daniels (July 1, 1920 – March 7, 2000) was a pioneer in the cable television industry, commonly known as the "father of cable television." He was an owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and a founder of the United States Football League (USFL).

Bill was born in Greeley, Colorado and shortly thereafter moved to Hobbs, New Mexico. There he was enrolled at the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI), a distinguished State of New Mexico supported educational institution located in Roswell, New Mexico. He was the undefeated New Mexico Golden Gloves Boxing Champion. In 1941, he joined the Navy and became an accomplished fighter pilot both in World War Two and the Korean War, retiring with the rank of full commander. Not long after the war, on his way home he happened upon a bar in Denver that was showing a boxing match from out-of-state, and he became interested in the technology that brought television over long distances.

Bill took a chance on this long-distance television market by setting up a microwave feed that delivered Denver programming to Casper, Wyoming in 1952. He soon shifted his focus towards brokering and investment banking for the growing industry. In 1958, he founded Daniels and Associates to specialize in this field. By 1965 his company, Daniels and Associates had brokered in excess of $100 million and this represented about 80 percent of the year's transactions.

A lifelong passion for sports of all sorts, Bill supported the Denver Grand Prix [1] and boxers, was a co-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, and owner of the American Basketball Association's Utah Stars franchise and was a founder of the Los Angeles Express in the United States Football League. With Lakers co-owner Jerry Buss, Bill started Prime Ticket sports programming network in the mid-1980s, which he later sold, sharing the proceeds with his employees. Daniels sponsored the USAC Championship Car campaigns of Texan Lloyd Ruby both in 1970 under the Daniel's Cablevision banner and in 1971 while promoting Daniel's Utah Stars franchise. In the case of the Utah Stars Basketball franchise, the team was not profitable and the league folded, leaving season ticket holders with no games, seats, or refunds. While Daniels was not financially obligated, he felt strongly about repaying the fans. Unable to make amends with his ticketholders at the time, years later he located and voluntarily repaid each Stars ticketholder with interest.

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