Midcontinent Communications reports that its Chairman of the Board, Larry Bentson, died Sunday (4/12) after a battle with cancer. He was 87.
Bentson built KMIN-TV Minneapolis-St. Paul (now KARE) and then teamed up with theater owners Eddie Ruben and Joe Floyd to build more TV stations and create what became Midcontinent Media. The company also acquired radio stations and built cable TV systems across the Upper Midwest.
Midcontinent Media sold its radio and television properties a few years back, but remains a partner with Comcast in Midcontinent Communications, a provider of cable TV, Internet and telephone services.
Bentson was honored for his 75-year career in broadcasting and his philanthropic/educational efforts last year as one of the initial recipients of the Ward L. Quaal Pioneer Awards by the Broadcasters Foundation of America.
