Cable Television: History of Technology

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Cable Television History of Technology
Community Antenna Television CATV
Originally developed in central Pennsylvania and
New York. Master antenna with line-of-sight to
broadcast television transmitters captured
signals. Those signals were then delivered to
homes in the valleys via cables.
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Mountain Antenna
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Distributor
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Cable Television History of Technology
Cable Television
Derived from CATV, Cable television adds
satellite delivered programming and a more
sophisticated organization and delivery system
the headend.
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Mountain Antenna
Headend
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Satellite Signals
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Cable Television Early History

• 1967 Must-carry rules guarantee local broadcast
  stations carriage on cable systems.
• 1975 Home Box Office offers satellite delivered
  premium channels by subscription (no
  advertising).
• 1976 Satellite delivered superstations.
• 1970-1986 Competition for franchises granted by
  communities, often with exaggerated franchise
  fee estimates and elaborate promises for
  community access cable channels (PEG public,
  educational, government). Often allowed for
  leased channels available to the public for a
  fee (also known as local origination).
• Mid 1980s Growth of Multiple System Owners
  (MSOs), leading to concentration of ownership of
  both cable systems and cable program services,
  especially after 1986 Act.

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Cable Television Programming
Tier service By the early 1980s, most
cable systems offered multiple levels of service
organized into tiers Basic Includes local
broadcast channels, advertiser supported cable
services, and access programming. Upper
Tier More desirable cable services, such as
sports networks and movie channels. Premium
Subscription pay channels such as HBO that are
often offered ala carte. Pay-per-view
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Cable Television Programming

• Narrowcasting Cable channels provide specialized
  programming for desired demographics. In this
  way, cable replicated television (general
  audience channels such as USA Network and TNT) as
  well as radio and magazines (such as ESPN, Food
  TV Network, and HGTV).
• Pay-per-View and Interactive Uses advanced
  technology (fiber optics and digital
  connectivity).
• Cable Radio Uses excess channel capacity to
  provide CD quality music channels.

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Cable Television Regulation

• Prior to 1986, local regulation prevailed except
  where Federal jurisdiction prevailed (such as
  must carry rules and regulation of satellite
  delivery.
• Cable Communication Policy Act of 1986
  effectively deregulates the local cable
  franchises.
• Cable Reregulation Act of 1992 reregulated
  cable franchise rate structures. Also
  retransmission consent allows local
  broadcasters to ask for compensation for cable
  carriage OR get guaranteed carriage for free.
• Telecommunications Act of 1996 authorizes phase
  out of 1992 regulations and offers incentives for
  competition with the telephone companies in
  various services.

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Cable Television Competition

• MDS Microwave delivered wireless cable. Has
  limited channel capacity, but cheaper.
• TVRO C-band satellite delivery. Big dishes
  with increasingly narrow program offerings since
  the advent of wide-scale signal scrambling.
• DBS Direct broadcast satellite. Ku-band
  satellite delivery in program services such as
  DirecTV.
• World Wide Web Television delivery system of
  the future? P2P File sharing as distribution
  mode.