Ralph Roberts, a cable pioneer who built Comcast from a small cable TV system in Mississippi into an entertainment and communications behemoth, has died. He was 95. Comcast said he died from natural causes.


He was in his 40s when he began his career in the fledgling cable industry, with a $500,000 purchase of American Cable Systems, a company with 1,200 subscribers in Tupelo, Mississippi. A string of acquisitions followed. Roberts changed the name of the company to Comcast and ran it until he was in his 80s.

He handed control of the company to one of his sons, Brian, who is now Comcast's chairman and CEO, while keeping the title of chairman emeritus.



Calling hours for Ralph Joel Roberts may be between 8:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. or 1:00 P.M - 5:00 P.M.