Over the last five years, it has brought in a younger team of senior executives to work with Brian, including the executive vice president, Larry Smith, 49; the senior treasurer, John Alchin, 49, and the president of the cable division, Tom Baxter, 50. I cannot remember a time during our relationship where a cross word passed between us. He was chairman of the board from 1969 to 2002. The recent deal was begun when the executive committee of Cablelabs, the cable industry's research and development arm that included Brian Roberts and John Malone, chairman of Tele-Communications Inc., the country's largest cable operator, visited Microsoft in late April. It also locked up broadcast rights to the Phillies. ''The children -- the family -- have continual discussions,'' he said during an interview in which he was joined by Brian, dressed like his father in a gray suit, black loafers, a white button-down shirt and red print tie. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. In 1994, for example, Ralph Roberts scuttled a bid by Barry Diller, then the chairman of QVC, the home-shopping cable channel, to acquire CBS. The potential for conflict is obvious. '', See the article in its original context from. There was another side to Mr. Roberts - as a mentor to those other than his son. And experts say the odds of a successful transition are greater at Comcast than at most family businesses. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It struck me as a place where culture really mattered. Let others know about your loved one's death. . (66 years old). It is the mother who will make it work. Stone Funeral Home. In 1994, Comcast, which had helped start QVC Network, a West Chester-based home-shopping company, made a $2.2 billion bid to buy a majority stake in the company. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. "His vision was always to create a little IBM," Rudnay said. [15][16], Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:20, National Cable and Telecommunications Association, National Conference of Christians and Jews, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, New York Times: "Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95", "Love: Suzanne (Fleisher) Roberts & Ralph J. Roberts", "Brian Roberts' Jewish Roots and Outsized Ambition Drive Comcast's Rise in Media", University of Pennsylvania Medicine: "About the Roberts", "Ralph Roberts, Cable TV Pioneer Who Built Comcast, Dies at 95", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia: Our Hall of Fame, Eastern State Penitentiary: "Funders for the Synagogue Restoration", "Starring Role - From the boards to the funding, Suzanne Roberts lives for the stage", "Howard Gerstley Fleisher, 95, Businessman and Active Volunteer", Daily Finance: "Comcast's Brian Roberts: The low-key exec who leads a high-profile giant" By Jonathan Berr, The Cable Center: "Cable Hall of Fame Archives - Ralph J. Roberts, "Comcast founder Ralph Roberts dies at 95. Ralph has been the heart and soul of Comcast for 50 years, and his integrity, honesty and respect for everyone around him will never be forgotten. Intrigued by the nascent cable industrys potential and aided by Mr. Aaron and Julian Brodsky, a Philadelphia accountant, Mr. Roberts decided to invest, overcoming his own initial misgivings and the even stronger doubts of his wife, Suzanne, who, he said, thought he was absolutely crazy., The cable business, you put up a tower, you run a line down through the telephone poles, you charge everybody $5 a month, and you dont do anything, so it didnt seem very appealing to me, Mr. Roberts recalled in receiving a television industry award in 2003. Only his fourth child, Brian, is at Comcast, the nation's fourth-largest cable television operator with $4 billion in revenue last year. ''The father is open. We'll automatically email you when obituaries are added that match your search query. Mr. Roberts has reason to track the way family-run companies pass the baton from one generation to next. At the time of his death, Mr. Roberts was past president and chairman emeritus of the public company, which has its headquarters on John F. Kennedy Boulevard. As the years passed, Mr. Roberts, with his shock of white hair and signature bow tie, made sure that Comcast's homey values remained in place. "I have never heard Ralph raise his voice - never, ever. Mr. Roberts later took jobs with the Muzak Corporation and the Pioneer Suspender Company, which sold mens belts and cologne. And Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor chairman, said Mr. Roberts was "a great partner and an even greater friend. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/22/business/the-heir-is-clearly-apparent-at-comcast.html. Investors who know him say he always prefers to remain in the background and let others like Mr.Brodsky, the vice chairman, take the limelight. Sign Up Today! "Our city has lost a wonderful champion," Nutter said in a statement. I speak for all of us when I say he will be greatly missed. He was 95. "These guys go out there and kill each other!". Quickly locate a newspaper obituary or death notice. Under Brian Roberts, Comcast has built on its standing as a cable television power to become a media and entertainment giant in content creation and Internet and voice services. ''We used to take the children away with us every year to climb the Pyramids or something memorable to keep their attention,'' he said. Doug was predeceased by his infant. But they talk all the time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. PHILADELPHIA-- ( BUSINESS WIRE )--Today we are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes last night in Philadelphia, PA. In 1996, Comcast spent $240 million and agreed to pick up $170 million in debt to gain the majority interest in the Flyers, the 76ers, the Spectrum, and what was then the CoreStates Center. Ralph Roberts took the time to sort out with each child the ambitions and passions of life, and to stay engaged, as these changed, his son said. The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Roberts witnessed the loss of his family's drugstore chain in the Depression and the death of his father to a heart attack in 1933, when he was 12. Ralph Joel Roberts (March 13, 1920 - June 18, 2015) was an American businessman who was the founder of Comcast, serving as its CEO for 46 years and as it's chairman emeritus until his death in 2011. He was. He always treated me with respect from a very young age.". He wants the other person to always feel good, whatever the exchange is. Mr. Gates was warm to the idea. Roberts, Craig Mort, Brenda Bachura, Bill McMenemy, and Peter McMenemy. It shows the power of Ralph's influence, that he has been able to keep that feeling alive over 50 years," Cohen said. We are deeply saddened to announce that Ralph J. Roberts, husband, father and grandfather, died of natural causes Thursday, June 18 in Philadelphia, PA. Published. "I never had a bad idea in working for him for 30-plus years," Roberts said. Once Mr. Roberts began building Comcast, Brian, alone of his brood, frequented the company premises. Find the obituary of Douglas A. Roberts (1955 - 2021) from Mount Carmel, IL. He was born Sept. 8, 1950 to Robert and Blanche Roberts in Portland. Ralph J. Roberts, who at the dawn of the cable television industry bought a small cable service in Tupelo, Miss., and built it into Comcast, today the largest cable television company in the nation, died Thursday night in Philadelphia. '', Brian Roberts acknowledges that decision making, what he calls ''pulling the trigger,'' is something you learn. That was extremely important to him, that we would sit around the table - all seven of us. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. But that verve was always tempered by a calm affability and a cautious approach to spending money. He is survived by : his parents, Terrance Andrew Roberts, Sr. and Geraldine Thompson (Boyce); his children, Sarah Roberts-Hanna, Katherine Allen, Sabrina McComas and Daniel Roberts; his grandchildren, Harper, Emily and Taylor; and his siblings, Danny Roberts and Charmaine Hankins. ''The most dangerous thing is a son or daughter coming into a business where they think they get special treatment,'' Mr. Roberts said. [2], Roberts has been credited with expanding Comcast into the largest cable television company in the United States. Maybe it was losing both his parents before he was 21, living through the Depression, but somehow he became an optimist. The acquisition, which faced scrutiny from Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department, was scuttled in April of this year. He never told me anything I wanted to do at Comcast was a bad idea, and after more than 30 years, youd think Ive had a lot of bad ideas.. He was 95. "We would have dinner as a family. After leaving the Navy, Roberts held various jobs, first selling golf clubs, then working for the Muzak Company, and later the Pioneer Suspender Company, which he eventually owned. Enter [13][14], Roberts made an appearance on TLC's reality series Cake Boss, receiving a cake for his 90th birthday. In a family business, even the strongest allegiances can crack under the strain of a mismanaged transition at the top, but people familiar with Comcast say the younger Mr. Roberts is proving his mettle. BEST DEAL! And by the end of this year, the elder Mr. Roberts will increase Brian's control over the company's special class of 8.8 million shares that represent nearly 82 percent of Comcast's vote. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Mr. Roberts, typically dapper in his signature bow tie and Brooks Brothers suits, became his sons mentor and sounding board, and the two were admired as a potent business partnership while never displaying the kind of strained and tempestuous relationship that can flare when a son succeeds a successful father. DOUGLAS ROBERTS OBITUARY Douglas J. Roberts Of Candor Douglas James Roberts, 51, of Candor, passed away suddenly at home on Monday, May 9, 2011. Mr. Roberts allowed himself an indulgence - the purchase of a farm in Chester County. Fleisher. No services are scheduled at this time. We all will.". When Brian was 8, Comcast was a fledgling cable operator that Ralph Roberts had founded after jumping in and out of a handful of other businesses. Flush with cash, Comcast went on a buying spree in the mid-1980s, acquiring part of the Group W cable system. ''I don't think Ralph knows any more about Brian's personal life than he knows about the others. 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