This past Saturday (March 13), Ralph Roberts,
founder and chairman emeritus of
Comcast Corp. and father of chairman and
CEO Brian Roberts, turned 90 years old.
Employees celebrated with the guest of
honor last Friday at lunch at “Ralph’s Cafe,” the
cafeteria on the 43rd floor of Comcast’s towering
headquarters in downtown Philadelphia.
Ralph and Brian entered the packed cafe,
Brian introduced his dad, and the assembled
employees clapped and cheered the man who
founded the company with the purchase of a
cable system in Tupelo, Miss., in 1963, spokesman
John Demming told The Wire Friday.
Then came the cake. Not just any cake, of
course: one prepared and presented by the
star of TLC’s Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro. Basically
a cake complex, it included the new
Comcast Center, a miniature Ralph standing
in front and a polka-dotted bow tie, his
signature accessory.
Lauren Hart, a Philadelphia native who
sings the national anthem at Flyers and Phillies
games, led everyone in singing “Happy
Birthday to You.” Then the honoree gave his
thanks.
From afar, The Wire wishes many happy
returns.
Comcast Sub Wins$41,000 From GSNOn ‘Bingo Blitz’
Talk about keeping customers and affiliates
happy. GSN was pleased to tell The Wire last
week that a Comcast customer, Rosemarie
Rivera, of Chicago, won $41,000 in the biggest
jackpot yet from the network’s Bingo Blitz.
Fans join the game on GSN.com, then tune
into to GSN weekdays 6-6:30 p.m. Central time
to see if anyone picked the right five-number
sequence. If no one does, the $1,000 prize rolls
over to the next night.
“We couldn’t be more delighted that the
biggest Bingo Blitz winner to date is a longtime
Comcast customer who lives and works
right here in Chicago,” David Williams, marketing
VP for Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region,
told The Wire, via GSN.
Erratum
Michael Schumacher is returning to Formula
One racing with Mercedes, not Ferrari. The
Wire regrets writing that mistake in the vicinity
of Speed’s Erik Arneson last week.
