Page 33 - Discover Spring 2023
P. 33
Charlie's Chatter
Fruitful Pursuits
By Charles Alexander
The more things change, the more a community antenna that was ideally
they remain the same. situated to bring in clear reception, which
was distributed via a cable, for a price, of
I can still remember when we had
course. Thus, cable TV was born.
three network TV channels, three local
channels, and a “public” TV channel. You Now, instead of getting poor
either had “rabbit ears” on your set, or a reception, “snow”, and ghost images,
garish looking antenna mounted on the roof you could receive clear images. The cable
of your house. companies quickly realized that their
markets could be expanded by providing
If you had rabbit ears, sometimes one
their subscribers
unfortunate member
additional offerings
of the household, often
other than that which
the youngest, was
was broadcast over the
tasked with moving air. Plus it would do
about the room until HARLIE’S away with antennas,
the “picture” became C and on these extra
clear. It was at this HATTER channels, there were
same time that we
no commercials. Why
discovered new uses
not pay a few dollars
for aluminum foil.
a month to get crystal
Some of the more wealthy elite had rooftop
clear TV without commercials? It seemed
mounted antennae on rotors, which could
like heaven.
be turned by remote control to eliminate
static in the reception. By this time, we had Not everyone gave cable TV a warm
become accustomed to variations in picture welcome. Movie theaters felt threatened by
clarity, occasional “ghost” images, and an a service that could bring movies directly
incessant parade of insipid commercials. into living rooms without commercials.
Many a marquee bore the imperative
Then in the 70s, new ground was
message: Stop Pay TV
broken. Because some remote areas had
extremely poor TV reception, the idea of The blow to cinemas was softened by
community antennas was born: CATV. the restriction of first-run films exclusively
This allowed multiple homes to tap into to theaters. Subscribers were still inclined to
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