Bob Daly Resigns as AFI Board Chair After 17 Years

The AFI board will find it hard to imagine without Bob Daly, but starting next week it will have to. The former CBS and Warner Bros. chief steps down as its chair after 17 years, and 45 years as a trustee. Daly, who first joined the board in 1981, […]

It's hard to imagine the American Film Institute Board of Directors without Bob Daly, but starting next week, that will be the case. The former CBS and Warner Bros. chairman is stepping down after 17 years as its chairman — and 45 years as a trustee.

Daly, who first joined the board in 1981, will step down from the top post at an Oct. 21 board meeting where a succession will be discussed.

"In a career that has taken me from managing CBS to Warner Bros. and the Los Angeles Dodgers, I can honestly say that serving as AFI chairman has been one of the greatest honors of my career," Daly said in a statement. "This is a panel that represents all aspects of the film and television communities, and it's wonderful to see them with a shared passion for the art form. Long live the AFI."

An AFI representative said Daly, who joined the board in April 1981, is stepping down to pass the torch to the next generation. Watch on Deadline

Daly began his career at CBS and spent 25 years there. He joined Warner Bros. in 1980 and served as chairman and CEO with Terry Semmel for nearly two decades. The pair held record earnings for 16 consecutive years. Daly was then president and CEO of the Dodgers, the MLB team then owned by News Corp. He also chaired the board of Save the Children for five years.

"Leadership is an art in itself - and Mr. Daly is a master," said AFI President and CEO Bob Gazal.

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