Patrick Gottsch, President And Founder Of RFD-TV, Has Died
on May 18, 2024
Patrick Gottsch, the visionary founder of Rural Media Group, Inc., passed away May 18, 2024, at 70.
Patrick’s roots were in Elkhorn, Nebraska, where he grew up on his family’s farm. This upbringing instilled in him a deep appreciation for the vital role that rural America plays in the lives of everyday Americans.
Gottsch attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, before moving to Chicago to work as a commodity broker. In 1982, Patrick returned to Nebraska, where he put his business skills to work as the founder of E.T. Installations. This home satellite company would become the nation’s largest privately owned home satellite retailer.
In March 1991, Patrick moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and served as the Director of Sales for Superior Livestock Auction from 1992 to 1996. Superior Livestock Auction was the first to introduce satellite video marketing to the livestock industry and has since grown to become the most prominent livestock auction enterprise in the United States.
Gottsch launched his broadcasting start at the Superior Livestock Auction where he worked for over 35 years. “He dedicated himself to highlighting the lives and contributions of farmers, ranchers, and the western lifestyle,” The Cowboy Channel website reads.
Drawing from his passion for rural life and western culture, Patrick Gottsch started a rural television network known as Rural Free Delivery Television (RFD-TV) in 2000. The 24-hour channel was the first of its kind and expanded into a vast brand that includes RFD-TV The Magazine, RFD HD, RURAL TV, RURAL RADIO, The Cowboy Channel, and The Cowgirl Channel.
The 2017 launch of The Cowboy Channel was historic because it was the first around-the-clock network highlighting western lifestyle and sports. In keeping with his passion for western sports, one of Gottsch’s last appearances before his death was at Kid Rock Rock ‘N Rodeo and the PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, last week.
Patrick Gottsch leaves behind his wife of 7 years, Angie, and three daughters: Raquel, Gatsby, and Rose. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
