That tiny Tupelo, Miss., cable venture became Comcast Corp., one of the nation's largest companies, with more than $50 billion a year in revenue, run today by Roberts' son, Brian. Aaron died in 2003 from Parkinson's disease.
And now, Brodsky, 77 - a 250-pound, 6-foot, 4-inch towering presence in the boardroom and on the tennis court - will depart from the Comcast board as vice chairman on May 11, the day of the annual shareholders meeting at the Convention Center, to make way for younger members with new skills associated with the cable company's diversification into entertainment and news.
Comcast director Michael I. Sovern also is not standing for reelection. Joining the board - if he receives the necessary votes from shareholders, which is basically assured - is Eduardo G. Mestre of the investment banking firm Evercore Partners Inc. His election satisfies a Comcast pledge to add a Hispanic director, made when federal officials were scrutinizing its deal for NBCUniversal Inc.
The other day, Brodsky - vice chairman at Comcast since the late 1980s and a board member for 42 years - was wistful about his impending retirement.
"You got a complex thing like Comcast, you have to refresh the gene pool," he said on the phone in a car heading to New York. "While it's time to do it, you do it with a certain amount of sadness."
Looking back, Brodsky takes pride in what the three amigos accomplished. Aaron, a former newspaperman with The Bulletin, once likened their management style to three men trying to drive a car at the same time: Brodsky would be stepping on the gas pedal, Aaron would be pounding on the brakes, and Roberts would be calmly holding the steering wheel.
