CBS president for 26 years began his career in Dayton

BOSTON (AP) -- Frank Stanton, a broadcasting pioneer and CBS president for 26 years who helped build its TV operation into the "Tiffany network," has died at 98.
Stanton, who got his first taste of marketing while working at a store in Dayton, Ohio, after school, died in his sleep at his Boston home Sunday, said longtime friend Elisabeth Allison.
"He took an afternoon nap and never woke up," Allison said, her voice choking with grief.
Stanton helped CBS evolve from a modest chain of radio affiliates to a media powerhouse that includes a music label.
He also helped craft the network's television news operation into a respected and influential information source. He endured a long and sometimes tense association with CBS founder William S. Paley.
While growing up, Stanton worked after school at a men's clothing store in Dayton.
Nielsen forerunner
Later, his studies at Ohio State University led him to devise a scientific method for measuring radio audiences -- and he invented the forerunner of what A.C. Nielsen would one day use to gather ratings.
In 1934, CBS invited Stanton to New York City to explain his technique. He stayed on, building a three-person research office into a 100-strong department.
Stanton rose swiftly through the ranks at CBS, becoming president in 1946, at age 38, when Paley resigned to become chairman.