Jews had big impact on NBC

Your recent article about the pending purchase of NBC by Comcast and the major role that NBC has played in the development of broadcasting left out any mention of the “Jewish connection” with this American broadcasting icon.

NBC was created by David Sarnoff, a Russian-born American Jew who was succeeded by his son Robert as chairman of the board of RCA, NBC's parent company. Milton Berle, whom you described as America's first television star, was the son of immigrant Jewish parents.

NBC's “Meet the Press,” the longest-running show on television, was created by another Jew, Lawrence Spivak, who often served as moderator and a panelist on the program.

In a time when the news is filled with Sholom Rubashkin and Bernie Madoff, it doesn't hurt to remember the positive role that Jews have played in American life.

If you are looking for information on the topic, you can always do a Google Search, and each time you “Google” somebody, think of company co-founder Sergey Brin, another American Jew whose parents brought him here from the Soviet Union when he was 6.

Mitchell A. Levin

Cedar Rapids