Former CNN President Burt Reinhardt has died aged 91, according to CNN.



Mr Reinhardt became President of CNN in 1983, previously serving as Vice President. He remained in the role until 1990. Mr Reinhardt went on to become vice chairman of the network until his retirement in 2000.

"I tell people that in my opinion, he's probably the most important and powerful news executive you've never heard of," said nephew Harlan Reinhardt.

"I'm sure a lot of people will talk about Burt's fiscal responsibility, but I think what set Burt apart from everyone else who has been at CNN was that he was quietly strong," said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. "And behind the scenes, this man has integrity and he's very competitive, but he wants to do things the right way. He's fair, but firm and he treated everyone with respect."

Reinhardt helped solidify the CNN logo as a strong symbol.

The logo, now commonly known as a "bug" in broadcast jargon, is almost always on the television screen during CNN's news coverage. This idea was the brainchild of Reinhardt.

Anderson Cooper noted Mr Reinhardt's passing during his show on Tuesday night.