India, Aug. 18 -- Bill Rasmussen, whose foresight and determination led to the establishment of ESPN as the first 24-hour television network in 1979, passed away on Tuesday. He was 93 years old.

Rasmussen, known as father of sports television', succumbed to complications from Parkinson's disease at his residence in Florida, ESPN reported.

Together with his son Scott, Rasmussen originated the concept of ESPN, initially envisioning it as a local Connecticut project before expanding it into a national sports network operating around the clock.

In the late 1970s, there was widespread doubt regarding the viability of a 24-hour cable sports network. Bill Rasmussen, who had just lost his job as the communications director for the New England ...