Edward Lewis Gaylord (May 28, 1919–April 27, 2003) was an American billionaire businessman and Media mogul who built the Gaylord Entertainment Company empire that included The Oklahoman newspaper, Oklahoma Publishing Co., Gaylord Hotels, the Nashville Network TV Channel (later renamed "SpikeTV" after being sold off); the Grand Ole Opry, and the Country Music Television Channel (CMT) as well as the defunct Opryland USA theme park and a bankrupt airline, Western Pacific Airlines.