Nickolas “Nick” Davatzes, a television industry executive who coordinated the creation of the cable networks A&E and The History Channel, died Saturday at his Wilton home at the age of 79.
Born in New York City, Davatzes was the son of Greek immigrants. After graduating from St. John’s University, he worked at Xerox for 12 years before joining Warner Amex, a pioneering company in the cable television industry.
In 1983, Davatzes was hired to helm the new company created by the merger of two unsuccessful early cable channels, the Arts Network and the Entertainment Network. Davatzes steered the company, which was renamed A&E Network, into commercial success through a series of popular programs including “Biography” and “100 Centre Street.”
By 1995, A&E launched The History Channel, which later spun off additional networks including the Biography Channel and History Channel en Español. In 2005, Davatzes stepped down as A&E president and CEO and took on the title of CEO Emeritus.
Davatzes was a 1999 inductee into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and in 2006 he was presented with the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush in a White House ceremony.
