Stanton was born March 20th 1908, in Muskegon, Michigan. His father taught woodworking and mechanical skills in school; young Frank learned about radio engineering from his dad. He won a college degree in zoology and psychology, but found it hard to get a job in the field; he pursued a doctorate in psychology. It was during that time Stanton invented a device that could be installed in a radio and recorded what shows listeners were tuned into. It was an early version of today’s Nielsen “black box” used to rate television shows based on popularity and caught the interest of CBS executive Paul Kesten, who hired the young Stanton for the network’s research department. The salary was $55 a week. Stanton (who earned his doctorate from Ohio State University) and his new bride Ruth headed to New York City in 1935.

Three years later, Stanton was the head of CBS’ research centre, which swelled to more than a hundred employees. During that time, he helped create the “program analyser,” which judged an audience’s response to a new radio or television show. It proved so useful, CBS used the “program analyser” for five decades; the other networks used similar devices. (Of course, the “program analyser” was not infallible; future television shows with low test scores such as “All In The Family,” “Seinfeld” and “Hill Street Blues” overcame rejection from test audiences to become critical and commercial hits.)

In 1946, Paul Kesten was tapped by Bill Paley to become the new president of CBS. But Kesten declined due to failing health and suggested Stanton for the post. The plan called for Stanton to oversee the day-to-day operations of CBS, while Paley would stay active on the programming side and make the major decisions.

One of Stanton’s first moves was to split CBS into three divisions: radio, television and engineering; the latter division under the guidance of the acclaimed Peter Carl Goodmark invented the LP phonograph record and other engineering feats. Under Stanton’s watchful eye, CBS also developed the so-called “colour wheel” version of colour television, which cost CBS millions of dollars. But the system eventually lost the battle to RCA/NBC’s “compatible colour,” which became the standard for more than five decades.

Offsetting that disappointment was a string of successes in entertainment programming. Under Stanton and Paley, CBS Radio passed NBC in the ratings during the late 1940's, thanks to “Paley’s Raids” of such NBC stars as Jack Benny and the long-running “Amos & Andy.” Meanwhile, Stanton foresaw the new medium of television and its potential to overtake radio, something Paley didn’t grasp at first. Stanton started to funnel radio profits into television and helped guide such signature CBS television series as “The Ed Sullivan Show;” “Studio One” and “The Jackie Gleason Show” onto the air. He also managed to persuade a red-haired comic and her bandleader husband from jumping ship to NBC; Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz would go on to star and produce CBS’ most popular series of the 1950's, “I Love Lucy.”

From 1955 through 1976, CBS was the most popular US television network with a mix of audience favourites such as “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Gunsmoke,” along with distinguished series as “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Playhouse 90;” “All In The Family;” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show;” “The Andy Griffith Show” and “M*A*S*H.” (Longtime also-ran ABC took the crown from CBS in ‘76; since then audiences have shrunk for the major networks. These days, CBS has been what its promos call “America’s Most Watched Network,” but the boast is more hollow in a multi-channel and platform universe.)

Stanton also oversaw one of CBS’ biggest audience attractions, the radio and television host Arthur Godfrey. At his peak in the early 1950's, Godfrey was on CBS radio five days a week and had two top-ten television programs–despite the fact he couldn’t sing or dance. What Godfrey had was a smooth announcing style that listeners and viewers loved–and when he told his audience to buy Lipton Tea or a Frigidare range, they did. And even though Paley didn’t like Godfrey, the Chairman loved the money Godfrey brought to the network in his heyday.

Stanton also made himself responsible for the CBS “image”–simple, clean, understated. The famous CBS “eye” corporate logo–still used today–was designed by William Golden in 1951, but Stanton oversaw its development. When Paley decided CBS needed a new headquarters in New York, he envisioned a pink skyscraper. Stanton managed to talk Paley out of that idea and steered the Chairman toward a black granite design by architect Eero Saarinen. When the new CBS headquarters opened in 1964, the dark stone structure earned the nickname “Black Rock” (a spin-off of “30 Rock,” the nickname for NBC’s headquarters on 30 Rockefeller Plaza). Such attention to public detail helped earn CBS the nickname of the “Tiffany Network.”

Stanton also started pouring CBS’ enormous broadcasting profits into acquisitions designed to make the company less dependent on television and radio. Some (such as book and magazine publishing and buying the rights to the tremendously successful musical “My Fair Lady”) were solid hits; others were disasters–including a short-lived CBS foray into producing television and radio sets. CBS also purchased the New York Yankees baseball team, which were consistent World Series and Major League champs until CBS took over; by 1973, a team of investors led by George Steinbrenner bought the now-hapless Yankees from CBS.

But for all of Stanton’s success, he and his boss never clicked socially or were good friends outside the company. As author Sally Bedell Smith wrote in her biography of Paley, “In All His Glory,” the Chairman knew he needed Stanton. “(Stanton) made the machine run and understood many of the complexities that eluded Paley. But as Paley recognized this dependence, he grew to resent Stanton.” That slight was shown in a number of ways. Stanton was not invited to Paley’s 1947 wedding to socialite Barbara “Babe” Cushing, but the star of CBS’ news department, Edward R. Murrow (a Paley friend) went to the event.

In many ways, Stanton saw himself as the guardian of CBS News; he made sure the division was shielded as much as possible from corporate and advertiser influence and gave the news staff the resources to grow and expand its coverage. But Murrow had Paley’s ear when it came to news and Stanton resented their friendship. When Murrow started falling out of favour with Paley over the content of his “See It Now” programs, Stanton became the news department’s in-house champion. In 1971, Congress subpoenaed Stanton for the out takes of a controversial CBS News documentary on how the Pentagon sold its agenda to the public. Stanton refused; he barely escaped a contempt motion but preserved the First Amendment rights of CBS News. He also may have headed off government control of American television when the “quiz show scandals” surfaced in 1959–which centred on NBC’s rigged quizzer “Twenty-One,” but also disclosed such CBS programs as “The $64,000 Question” and “Dotto” may have been “influenced.” In October 1959, Stanton appeared before the Radio and Television News Directors Association, and vowed there would be no repeat of the quiz shenanigans. He also vowed that CBS would air more documentaries and public affairs programs, and worked to help temporarily lift “equal time” rules that paved the way for 1960's presidential debates between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy on both television and radio. Stanton’s actions may have helped prevent stricter regulations on the networks; Congress simply passed a law that made it a felony to rig a quiz show.

Not that Stanton was perfect. Responding to the allegations of “communists” in US broadcasting, Stanton ordered all CBS employees and performers to take a “loyalty oath.” He also created a special office within CBS to investigate the background of the company’s workers leading to the “blacklisting” of performers and producers who were wrongly accused of Communist ties. In 1999, Stanton expressed his regrets over the episode: “I didn’t have the wisdom, nor did anyone else. The head of the law department was one of the fairest people I’ve ever known. When he said this was the course we should follow, we went along with it.”

By early 1966, Stanton was looking forward to becoming the new CBS chairman. Network policy required those turning 65 to leave the company, and Paley was expected to step down and make Stanton his successor. He was so sure he would get the job, he turned down posts in the Johnson administration and an offer to run the University of California. But as Stanton learned, the rules of CBS didn’t apply when your name was William S. Paley. The Chairman decided to “stay on” in a last-minute maneuver just before the CBS board was to vote on the matter. As a result, Stanton remained the company president until 1971, when he was elevated to vice-chairman. In 1973, Stanton was forced by corporate mandate to leave CBS at the age of 65. The whole episode hurt Stanton deeply; he later called CBS “just another company with dirty carpets” and refused a farewell party Paley offered to throw him. He later headed the American Red Cross, served on a number of boards (including CBS and Harvard University) and commented on the changing state of television.

In 1986, investor Lawrence Tisch managed to get a foot into the door of CBS by buying 12 percent of the company’s stock; he became CBS’ second-largest stockholder after Paley; the two were able to toss out then-chairman Tom Wyman and take back control of the company. CBS board members considered asking Stanton to come back and run the company, but decided against the idea, feeling he was too old for the job. Tisch was allowed to run CBS, and the company became a shadow of its former self. He sold off just about every non-broadcast asset–including Columbia Records, home to Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. Tisch also fired hundreds of workers in his effort to raise stock prices. But under Tisch’s watch, CBS fell to third place in prime time for the first time in its history. (Paley died in 1990).

CBS did recover somewhat in the ratings, but Tisch finally got tired of running a broadcast network and sold CBS to Westinghouse Broadcasting in 1995, ending CBS’ status as an independent company. Westinghouse later changed its name to CBS Corporation, and was itself purchased by media giant Viacom in 2000. (Viacom actually started as CBS’ syndication arm before the federal government forced CBS to sell it off in 1973.) Today, CBS Corporation owns the CBS radio and television network, a portion of the CW network, the Showtime pay cable outlet and CBS Paramount television studios. The new Viacom (spun off from CBS Corp.) owns Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks studios, and cable networks such as MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, TV Land and the gay-themed Logo.

More than ever, the major broadcast networks lack a visionary to see beyond the next ratings report or balance sheet. But visionary is the best word to describe Dr. Frank Stanton. If it weren’t for Stanton, Bill Paley’s CBS would have been a personal sandbox. With Stanton’s help, CBS became a broadcasting force and the leader in television news and entertainment for decades. Paley shouldn’t have resented Frank Stanton; he should have gotten down on his knees and thanked him for his contributions. And so should today’s generation of television viewers.