First Disney Channel head Wagner dies

NEW YORK, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The first president of the Disney Channel, Alan Wagner, has died in New York of unspecified causes at the age of 76.

A former programming CBS executive, Wagner was hired in 1982 to run the fledgling children's channel and served as its head for nearly a year, The New York Times said Sunday.

The cable channel premiered in April 1983 and during its early years, it served as a 16-hour-a-day cable service.

Wagner, who died last Tuesday, also served as the host of the WNYC series "Living Opera," which offered radio listeners excerpts from interviews with musicians.

Wagner would also take time during the regular radio broadcast to share his backstage stories with his listeners until his role ended in 1968.

The Times said he is survived by his wife Martha, three children and five grandchildren.