Does Anyone Remember Cable TV in the 1970s?

Cable television hit a snag in the late 1960s with local television stations complaining that the ability to view a station from a large distance was costing them viewers and they weren't able to compete. Because of this, the FCC placed a freeze on cable television that restricted them from getting more and more signals from far off places. This freeze didn't help cable television in the 1970s because it forbid cable companies from showing sporting events, movies and programs offered in syndication. This freeze was lifted gradually, beginning in1972, but not before costing the cable industry a lot of money. However, all wasn't lost with cable during the 1970s. The first pay-for-TV network was created in 1972. Two pioneering men, Charles Dolan and Gerald Levin, created a little cable movie channel called HBO. Perhaps you have heard of it today? Because of this pay-TV network, a national satellite system that used domestic satellite transmission was launched. This meant a huge growth in programming choices for cable television viewers. The end of the 1970s saw the cable television industry booming with nearly 16 million people subscribing to cable television.