New York City Names Street After Late Jewish Media Mogul and Philanthropist

Shiryn Ghermezian

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Sumner Redstone, former executive chairman of CBS Corp. and Viacom, arrives at the premiere of “The Guilt Trip” starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen in Los Angeles December 11, 2012. Photo: Reuters

The City of New York named a street on Tuesday in honor of the life and legacy of Sumner Redstone, the late Jewish global media executive and philanthropist who vastly contributed to the media and entertainment industry as the head of Viacom, CBS, and Paramount.

Sumner Redstone Way is on the corner of 44th Street and 7th Avenue, outside of Paramount Global headquarters in Manhattan.

Redstone was the CEO of Viacom through 2005 and oversaw some of the company’s high-profile acquisitions, such as Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment, DreamWorks SKG, and CBS. Redstone served as chairman of Viacom and CBS until 2016, and when the two merged in December 2019 and became ViacomCBS, he took on the role of chairman emeritus of the combined company. He died at the age of 97 in August 2020.

A street-naming ceremony took place on Tuesday and was attended by the Redstone Family, senior leaders from Paramount, New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher, and others.

“My father was one of the great champions of the media industry,” said Shari Redstone, who is daughter of the honoree, chair of Paramount Global, and president and CEO of the Redstone Family Foundation.

“By taking smart risks, never making a decision of out of fear, and doing things his way, he drove the industry continuously forward,” she added. “His achievements live on today in countless ways, including Paramount’s commitment to creating content that excites, informs, and educates audiences and leaves them coming back for more.  I want to thank the City for honoring my father and all the incredibly talented individuals at Paramount who bring his vision to life.”

Redstone was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 27, 1923, to Belle Ostrovsky and Max Rothstein. His father later changed his name to Michael Redstone.

Redstone served in World War II as part of a US Army intelligence unit that focused on breaking Japanese military and diplomatic codes. He served in the army unit until the end of the war and received many honors, including the Army Commendation Award and two commendations from the Military Intelligence Division for his service, contribution, and devotion to duty.

After his military service he graduated from Harvard University School of Law and began his career as a law secretary with the United States Court of Appeals and then as special assistant to the US Attorney General. He left his career in law in 1954 and took over, and expanded, the cinema chain founded by his father that is now known as National Amusements.

Throughout his decades-long career, Redstone was a member of multiple entertainment industry organizations, including the Advisory Council for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation and on the Board of Trustees for The Paley Center for Media. He was the first chairman of the board of the National Association of Theatre Owners of America, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and there is a Sumner Redstone Building in the Paramount Pictures lot dedicated in his memory.

He additionally held positions on the executive board of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston and was former chairman of the Metropolitan Division of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies. He joined the Boston University School of Law as a faculty member in 1982 and went on to create one of the first classes in entertainment law in the US.

Then-New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson introduced and sponsored the co-naming of Sumner Redstone Way on Dec. 15, 2021. The Council approved and passed the bill that same date, and it was officially adopted into the City Charter on Jan. 15, 2022.

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