Former ABC Exec Mark Cohen Dies At 81

Thirty-year ABC executive Mark Cohen, retired executive vice president, ABC Broadcast Group and vice president, Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. died on Dec. 31, 2013. He was 81 years old.

Cohen joined ABC in the company’s clearance department in 1958. He moved to network sales in 1961, was promoted to director of sales planning in 1964 and to VP, sales planning in 1967.

In the early 1970s, Cohen held a number of positions in the business analysis and planning areas, and was named VP in charge of planning and development for ABC Television in 1974. He was promoted to SVP, finance and planning in 1976, became SVP of ABC Television in 1977 and assumed the additional title of VP of ABC Inc. in 1981. From 1983 to 1985, he was SVP, ABC Inc. and in 1985 was promoted to EVP. Cohen left the company in 1988.

Cohen served as a VP of the International Radio and Television Society and was a former president of the International Council of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In addition, he served on the executive committee of the International Council.

A native of Maine and a resident of Armonk, N.Y., Cohen received his degree in business administration from the University of Maine and his MS degree in television production from Syracuse University.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane Pitman Cohen, daughters Patricia Beth and Cathyanne, son H. Jonathan and three grandchildren, Chase, Jake and Maryjane. He is also survived by a brother, Irwin Cohen of Salem, Mass.

Memorial services will be on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 11 a.m. at the Oelker-Cox & Sinatra Funeral Home in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., to be followed by a celebration of life at the Whippoorwill Country Club in Armonk at 1:30 p.m.