In praise of Tom

RE “Tom Snyder, One of a Kind,” by Robert Lloyd, July 31: Tom Snyder shocked me at the end of every show by saying, “Good night, everybody.” At that sign-off moment, I was startled back to the reality that he had been speaking to millions, not just to me.

Much has been said about his superstar interviews and bombastic style, but he was a gifted communicator who treated his audience to a wide world of people and ideas -- from the guy who made a musical instrument from a construction beam to the author of an exhaustive study of nefarious commuter activities. The prestigious and the pimp, the coronated and the kook received equal treatment from T.S., in between the peaceful, revealing stories of his mother, his dogs and his model trains. All of it just for me. Good night, Tom.

Mark Snow

Woodland Park, Colo.

I TiVo Charlie Rose every night, and, as great as it is, it is not Tom Snyder. Charlie Rose is NYC chatter class, and Tom Snyder was the Mensa dropout at the bowling alley lounge.

Patrick K. Gallagher

Long Beach