THE CABLE REVOLUTION
A Rocky Mountain PBS Special
“The humble and innovative beginnings of cable TV … sparked one of the most important industries in the world, an industry that has constantly reinvented itself and is today a major player in broadband. From Bill Daniels and Bob Magness to John Malone, meet the innovative pioneers of the industry, which continues to reinvent itself even today.” — Rocky Mountain PBS
Cable has a history dating back more than seven decades. In its early years it was known as community antenna television (CATV). Through about the late 1960s to early ’70s those CATV systems mostly served rural communities where over-the-air TV reception was difficult or impossible. Today’s cable systems are sophisticated telecommunications networks using a combination of coaxial cable, optical fiber, and wireless technology to provide digital video, telephony, gigabit-class high-speed data, home security, and other interactive services to subscribers. Cable operators are involved in the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, and more. How did the cable industry evolve from what was little more than an over-the-air broadcast TV retransmission service to what it is today?
On Thursday, October 21st, Rocky Mountain PBS aired an episode of Colorado Experience titled “The Cable Revolution.” The Colorado Experience documentary was in development for the past decade and in production since 2019 (yours truly was among the many people interviewed). The nearly 90-minute program includes an overview of the history of the cable industry and some of its pioneers; its technology, programming (remember HBO’s first satellite transmission in 1975?), business successes and struggles; how Colorado played a role; and how cable became one of the most important global industries.
If you missed it, “The Cable Revolution” is available online: https://video.rmpbs.org/video/the-cable-revolution-w9w6uk/
The program is also on YouTube:
Bonus! Rocky Mountain PBS also has a virtual tour of Cableland available: https://video.rmpbs.org/video/cableland-tour-tvsv6c/
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Bill Daniels and CableVision team, Colorado Springs, CO, 1968.
Bob Magness, left, and JC Sparkman, right, of TCI with Lakewood, Colorado mayor Charles Whitlock, circa 1977.
John Malone interviewing with RMPBS, 2019
Cable system construction in The Dalles, OR, 1954.
Photo credits: Barco Library, The Cable Center; Julie Speer Jackson, Julie Speer Productions, Inc.
