CABLE TELEVISION

Beginning of an industry

In June of 1948, an appliance store owner set out to solve a local problem, and through his ingenuity and vision a huge industry was born.

John Walson operated an appliance store in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, in addition to his employment by the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company. In 1947, Walson began selling television sets in his store. Business for this new appliance was limited, however, because the mountains surrounding the town made it impossible to receive the network stations from Philadelphia. An antenna tower was built on top of one of those mountains, allowing Walson to demonstrate the television sets. A line was then constructed from the tower to his warehouse, and in June of 1948 to his appliance store, also connecting a few houses along the way. More antennas and boosters were added, and more and more homes were connected to the system, to become the beginning of the huge cable television industry.

In 1979, this achievement was recognized by both the United States Congress and the National Cable Television Association.

Other innovations that John Walson produced include being the first cable operator to use microwaves to import signals from distant television stations, and the first operator to use coaxial cable for improved picture quality.

Pay television begin in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on John Walson's cable system on November 8, 1972. It was a telecast of a hockey game from Madison Square Garden in New York City, and the system became known as Home Box Office. Then in 1975, the signal began to be distributed by satellite through much of the nation. HBO has become the largest pay TV outlet in the nation.