Hendricks: Early 1970s Cable Was Legally Restricted to Retransmitting Broadcast Signals
John Hendricks · Discovery Channel and Curiosity Stream: John Hendricks · Jan 17, 2022 · at 5:55
Discovery Channel founder John Hendricks recalls inquiring with a local cable operator in Alabama around 1972 or 1973 about airing educational documentary films on cable TV.
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“Cable was around, so this would have been probably around 1972 or 73, but cable was Really a community antenna. There are a lot of places in America that couldn't receive a good broadcast signal. Either they were down in the hollows or they were in urban areas where large buildings would block that. And so there were cable operators. And in Alabama, there was the teleprompter cable system. I think it was the general manager I actually talked to. And he said, son, this is a good idea, but you got to understand we can't by law Provide any content other than the retransmission of broadcast signals.”
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