When Brian Roberts was a child, his father often brought him to his office. He showed the most interest in the company among his siblings, and had a particular talent for numbers.

Today, Roberts is the CEO of the business his father started, Comcast Corp., and chairman of the board of directors of NBCUniversal. On Tuesday afternoon, he participated in a Q-and-A session in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium.

The session centered on issues involving the merger between cable and broadcast industries, the future of Comcast and career advice for students.

Comcast has evolved from a company that was a pioneer in cable television to a corporation that now dominates the cable and broadcast industry, said Lorraine Branham, dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, when she introduced Roberts.

Since Comcast’s 2011 merger with NBCUniversal, Roberts said the company has been challenged with tasks of both organizing and producing content.

“There are some that are still going around saying that content is king,” he said. “I’m not sure if I believe that there is a king or a queen or any of that. For years, we’ve been a technology company and we’ve been trying to deliver the content.

Comcast officials recognized and reacted to the changes in the media industry when the company released its multifaceted platform XFINITY. This platform was created to provide customers with personalized television experiences and compete with companies such as Netflix and Hulu, Roberts said.

Specifically, Comcast created the interactive XFINITY remote, a voice-operated television remote control.

As he spoke, Roberts gave a demonstration of the remote, directing it toward his mouth and saying, “Watch golf.”

The screen behind him promptly switched to a golf match.

Later in the discussion, Roberts gave advice to students entering the cable and broadcast industry.

“It’s more important to work for a growing organization than a shrinking organization,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s public or private or big or small, as long as there’s growth.”

Rachel Moore, a political science, television, radio and film and international relations major, said she connected to Roberts’ bluntness about the competition in the workforce.

“Being in Newhouse, we’re ahead of the game, but it’s still going to be a hard hike to get where he is,” Moore said.

David Rubin, dean emeritus of Newhouse, said Roberts provided good insight about the future of the cable industry through the merger of broadcasting and cable, which were previously competitors.

“They are blending these two industries to make them into one,” Rubin said. “And that’s where we’re really headed. There’s going to be no distinction anymore.”

Roberts encouraged students to focus on their passions, even though there might be difficulties along the way.

“There will be a passion in your life. And it may not be the same all of your life. And it may not be clear to you at age 20 what the answer to that is,” he said. “It’s hard. It’s exciting. It’s noble. It’s fun. And I’d just say go for it.”

Published on March 27, 2013 at 2:08 am