Former head of Turner Broadcasting Jamie Kellner passes away at 77

Jamie Kellner, the television executive who ultimately put an end to WCW, has passed away.

Variety reported that Kellner died Friday at his home in Montecito, California at the age of 77. While his biggest contributions to television include helping launch both the Fox and WB networks, in the pro wrestling world he is best known as the man who canceled WCW programing on Turner networks after becoming head of Turner Broadcasting in 2001.

Shortly after Kellner succeeded Ted Turner as head of broadcasting, he canceled WCW programing on TBS and TNT. This caused Fusinet Media, who was initially set to purchase the struggling company, to pull out of their deal, allowing Vince McMahon and WWE to purchase the company and change the face of pro wrestling.

WCW went on to hold its final episodes of Nitro and Thunder in March of 2001. Although inital plans were to keep WCW as a seperate company, those plans were ultimately changed to WCW (and eventually ECW) becoming part of an invasion angle on WWF television. By November, the storyline had ended, with the WCW/ECW Alliance being written off.

During his run at the helm of both the WB and Fox, Variety’s article credited him for the likes of “The Simpsons,” “Married… With Children,” “Cops,” “In Living Color”, “21 Jump Street”, “Dawson’s Creek,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Gilmore Girls,” “7th Heaven”, and “Felicity”. He retired in the early 2000s.