Frank Batten Sr

From errand boy he rose to publisher of The Virginian-Pilot and its afternoon sister, then parlayed his newspapers into an adventuresome media company with global reach. He helped lead the fight for integrated schools in Norfolk, midwifed Old Dominion University into being, commanded The Associated Press and its far-flung correspondents, and defied a legion of doubters to create The Weather Channel. Batten, who was 82, died in September 2009 at the Harbor's Edge retirement center near Norfolk's Elizabeth River waterfront. He is survived by his wife, Jane; three children; countless friends and colleagues. Until its partial breakup in 2008, Batten's Landmark Communications Inc. was one of the country's largest privately held media companies. The business's marquee properties were The Weather Channel and Weather.com, since sold. Its successor, Landmark Media Enterprises LLC, remained parent to nine daily newspapers and more than 100 non-daily newspapers and specialty publications; to TV stations in Las Vegas and Nashville, Tenn.; and to Dominion Enterprises, which produces a national chain of classified-ad publications and owns a large office building in downtown Norfolk. Batten was born in 1927 to Frank Batten, a local bank auditor, and Dorothy Martin Batten, the daughter of a wealthy Norfolk family. He had just turned a year old when his father fell ill and died at the family's Ghent home. His aunt Fay and her husband, Samuel L. Slover, invited Frank and his mother to live with them. Batten left Norfolk Academy - and the baronial Slover home on Ghent's Fairfax Avenue - for the austere, squared-away life of Indiana's Culver Military Academy. After graduating in 1945, Batten immediately sought admission to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. He quit sea duty in 1947 to enter the University of Virginia. Batten returned to the Richmond Ledger-Dispatch as an intern reporter for two more summers, graduated from U.Va. in 1950 and obtained his master's in business administration from Harvard in 1952. In 1962 he became Old Dominion College's first rector, a post from which he shepherded the campus's break from the College of William and Mary. Batten guided the school through its first eight years, during which it achieved university status. In 1967, Norfolk Newspapers Inc. became Landmark Communications Inc. Batten was nominated to the AP's board of directors in 1975 and named the organization's chairman seven years later. The Weather Channel became Landmark's highest-profile property and a mainstay of cable systems around the country. When the company announced plans to sell the channel, its Web site and an associated weather data firm in January 2008, it made headlines around the country. The sale to NBC Universal and two private-equity firms reportedly netted $3.5 billion. Batten also created the Landmark Foundation, which has funneled millions of dollars to educational charities and other nonprofit organizations. Batten stepped down as Landmark's chairman in 1998, handing over control of the company to his son. By that time, Frank Batten Jr. was well-grounded in the company's businesses. Batten remained chairman of the Landmark board's executive committee. He and his wife Jane also had two daughters, Mary Elizabeth – Betsy, to the family – and Dorothy. It's raining cash. Low-profile media maven sold highly profitable Weather Channel to NBC Universal, Bain and Blackstone for $3.5 billion in July 2008. Uncle Samuel Slover arrived in Virginia 1900. Was offered 50% of Newport News (now Virginian-Pilot) if he halted paper's losses within a year; succeeded. Nephew Frank became publisher at 27. Built uncle's business into media empire. Now breaking up Landmark Communications; also sold Nashville television station to Bonten Media in July 2008 for $200 million. Virginian-Pilot, the News & Record newspapers also up for sale. Son Frank Jr. runs the business; Frank Sr. active in philanthropy. Gave $100 million to U. of Virginia last year.