Ed Ansin
Biography
Edmund N. Ansin (March 9, 1936 – July 26, 2020) co-founded Sunbeam Television Corporation, taking over as president after his father’s death in 1971. With news director Joel Cheatwood, he pioneered the fast-paced, breaking-news-driven “Miami News” style at WSVN, making it a ratings leader, then brought the same approach to Boston in 1993 when he purchased WHDH Channel 7. Ansin ran his stations personally into his 80s, famously telling the Boston Globe in 2019 that he had no interest in retiring.
Accomplishments
Built Sunbeam Television into one of the largest independently owned broadcast groups in the country, spanning Boston and Miami. Received the United Way’s Alexis de Tocqueville Award for philanthropy in three separate cities, and was a major donor to educational and youth organizations, including Emerson College, which credited him with leaving “an indelible mark” on Boston media.
In His Own Words
“Most people think I’m crazy not to retire. Tom Brady plays football until he’s 42, and that’s crazy, too. I’m obsessed with television. I just like it.” — Boston Globe, January 2020
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