In the Wild: All-Star Lineup for HistoryTalks
It was a who’s who in cable this past weekend in Philly for lecture series HistoryTalks, with attendees including A+E Global Media President/Chairman Paul Buccieri, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, former Comcast Senior EVP David Cohen, NCTA CEO Cory Gardner, Former Cox Communications CEO Pat Esser, Mediacom SVP, Programming Glenn Goldsmith and Sapan Studio President/former AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan. There were plenty more notables, but we were too agog at the main stage—stacked with all four living former U.S. presidents, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nicole Kidman, Garth Brooks, Jill Biden, Tom Brady, Tina Fey, Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon and more—to notice.
The private speaking series produced by History and A+E Global Media in partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal took place Saturday in front of a packed crowd at the 2,500-seat Kimmel Center. The fourth iteration of the event felt especially meaningful as the country marked its 250th birthday—a theme woven throughout the day.
Buccieri kicked off the event with a bit of a rallying cry, telling the crowd that their place in history isn’t assigned, but is instead waiting to be claimed. “HistoryTalks brings together leaders and icons from across industries to reflect on our shared history. At A+E Global Media and History Channel, we have always been proud to create moments to celebrate our collective past and contextualize the present,” he said. “We were honored to join with Comcast NBC Universal in their hometown of Philadelphia, as we commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary, bringing together teachers, veterans and history enthusiasts to commemorate this milestone in the birthplace of our nation.”
Roberts welcomed attendees to Comcast’s hometown, where his father started the company 60 years ago. “So much has changed, but our mission of bringing people together has stayed the same,” he said. The Comcast chief also gave History a nice shout-out, calling it “one of the most fabulous channels we get to carry.”
The former presidents stayed away from directly weighing in on the current administration or current events, such as the war in Iran. Instead, they offered larger reflections on America’s progress and democracy. There were acknowledgments that we’re living in challenging times, but that we would get through them. Barack Obama talked about how we as a country continue to work toward “a more perfect Union.” Joe Biden declared that a democracy doesn’t just mean loving your country when it wins. Things often got personal, with Biden sharing how hope and grief oftentimes go hand-in-hand as he talked about the loss of his son Beau. Bill and Hillary Clinton were interviewed by actor Ted Danson—a decision that makes sense once you understand that the Clintons are longtime friends of his wife, Arkansas native Mary Steenburgen. Danson quipped that on one of their first dates, the 42nd president grilled him on what his intentions were. It worked out, with the president declaring that Danson was the best thing to ever happen to her. George W. Bush was interviewed by his daughter Jenna Bush Hager in a conversation that you literally had to be there for (it was off-the-record—and often very funny).
The day ended with Garth Brooks with a guitar in his hand, literally taking the crowd through the history of American music, one beautiful song at a time.