Charles debuted at CNN on the network 's first day , June 1 , 1980 . Charles appeared on a bubble gum card , a first for a CNN personality . ` His passing is a loss to CNN , to the sports world and to the fans and friends everywhere who were with him to the end of his extraordinary life , '' said Jim Walton , Charles ' field producer in his early days and current president of CNN Worldwide . He covered everything from the Olympics to the Super Bowl to the Kentucky Derby .
Charles debuted at CNN on the network 's first day , June 1 , 1980 . Charles appeared on a bubble gum card , a first for a CNN personality . He covered everything from the Olympics to the Super Bowl to the Kentucky Derby .