《Cable TelevisionIndustry Structure and Planning Strategi》.pptVIP

Cable TelevisionIndustry Structure and Planning Strategies Richard A. Gershon, Ph.D. School of Communication – TIM Program Western Michigan University Cable Television: History and Development Cable television (also called CATV) was developed in the late 1940’s in communities unable to receive television signals. The cities of Mahanoy City and Lansford, Pennsylvania as well as Astoria, Oregon, are credited with having been the first set of communities in the U.S. to offer CATV service to its residents. What is important about such communities is that it provides a basic blueprint of how cable television started in the U.S. Each example started as a pragmatic solution to the problem of poor television reception. John Walson, Mahanoy City, PA One such cable system was started in 1948 in Mahanoy City, PA to cope with the problem of poor television reception. In Mahanoy City, a coal mining town of 10,000 people in the Appalachians, reception from the three TV networks 86 miles away in Philadelphia was all but nonexistent. An appliance store owner by the name of John Walson, could not sell any TV sets to local residents. The lack of reception prevented Walson from demonstrating his TV sets. John Walson, Mahoney City, PA During the summer of 1947, Walson erected an antenna on a high ridge of a nearby mountain. Later that year, Walson strung electrical ribbon wire from the mountain antenna down to his appliance warehouse, which was a few blocks from his store. He was then able to demonstrate for visitors a video image and a weak audio signal. In 1948, he erected a larger antenna on top of the mountain and replaced the ribbon wire with a more efficient twin lead wire. The display caused a local sensation. People gathered outside the store window to watch the programs being brought in from Philadelphia. Walson next arranged to wires for a fee between his warehouse and store to the homes of several residents living along the route