Frank Shakespeare, who was a station manager and CBS executive before holding an influential position in the Richard Nixon administration and working in global politics, died December 14 at age 97. No cause of death has been reported.
Shakespeare was born in New York City in 1925 and attended Holy Cross College. He served in the Navy and later went into radio ad sales.
Shakespeare shifted to local television, and was general manager of WXIX Milwaukee, then a CBS affiliate, in 1957, and moved on to be WCBS New York general manager. He presented what was considered the first television editorial on local affairs, noted the NY Times, a critique of off-track betting. General manager editorials are more commonplace now.
In 1965, Shakespeare was named executive VP at CBS, working under president James T. Aubrey. His influence decreased after Aubrey was let go, and Shakespeare ended up…
