The legendary founder of Nickelodeon, Dr. Vivian Horner passed away 4 years ago at age 88 🕊️
Before the orange splat, before Nicktoons, before Rugrats, SpongeBob, Avatar or The Fairly OddParents, there was Dr. Vivian Horner and a radical idea: children deserved a television channel built specifically for them.
An educator and former research director for The Electric Company, Horner helped develop Pinwheel for Warner Cable’s experimental QUBE system in 1977. Its success became the foundation for something much bigger, and Horner conceived the children’s network that launched nationally as Nickelodeon on April 1, 1979.
Although she didn’t create the famous Nick shows that followed decades later. Her contribution was more fundamental: she helped create the place where generations of those shows could eventually exist.
Millions remember Nickelodeon as part of childhood. Vivian Horner helped make that childhood institution possible.
Rest in peace, Dr. Vivian Horner 🧡🕊️