A former journalist who began his career in newspapers and radio, Mr. Bleier was an innovator who foresaw industry-changing technologies and the need for fresh content to serve the emerging cable television market.
At ABC and later at Warner Bros. Television, he gained a reputation for imaginative but also practical strategic thinking that helped usher in a new television era.
From 1986 to 2000, he was president of a Warner Bros. division that developed basic cable networks such as Nickelodeon, MTV and The Movie Channel.
As far back as 1961, while at ABC, Mr. Bleier saw a future for vintage Looney Tunes cartoons, animated shorts made by Warner Bros. and shown in movie theaters in the 1930s and ’40s.
The move transformed Looney Tunes and similar cartoons into consistent profit-makers for both ABC and Warner Bros.
Persons:
Edward Bleier, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Magda Bleier, Bleier
Organizations:
Time Warner Cable, ABC, Warner Bros . Television, Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, MTV
Locations:
East Hampton, N.Y