Biography Of Robert (Bob) L. Johnson
Biobraphy of Robert (Bob) L. Johnson
Robert L. Johnson was born in Hickory, Mississippi in 1946. He was the ninth of ten children born to Archie and Edna Johnson. Searching for a better life, the Johnsons moved to Freeport, Illinois, where he graduated from Freeport High School in 1964. He studied history at the University of Illinois where he met his wife Sheila Crump. The couple had two children together, daughter Paige and son Brett. While at the University of Illinois, Johnson was a member of the Beta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He graduated from the university in 1968 and then he earned a master's degree in International Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1972. Robert then moved to Washington D.C. where his main interest in communications came in the mid 70s when he served as press secretary for then-District of Columbia Congressional Delegate Walter Fauntroy.
Robert L. Johnson is the essence of a big-time mover and shaker. While exuding a quiet demeanor in person, he simply gets extraordinary things accomplished behind the scenes in a high-profile way. Since Johnson’s Princeton days, he knew the power of television could help promote black businesses and culture. With his interest in broadcasting growing, Johnson landed a job as a lobbyist for the National Cable Television Association (NCTA). In 1978, he began developing his innovative plan to produce television programs targeted to black viewers. He left NCTA in 1979. To help launch this effort, Tom Wheeler, president of the NCTA, gave Johnson $15,000 as an initial investment. Johnson later convinced John Malone, the president of Tele-Communications, Inc., to invest $500,000 in the project. In what proved to be a fortunate break, Johnson met with Bob Rosencrans, the president of UA-Columbia Cablevision, at an NCTA annual convention. Eager to help make Johnson’s dream a reality, Rosencrans said he owned slots on a cable TV...
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