Remember When?

40 YEARS AGO

NOVEMBER 13, 1980

CABLE TV PLANNED

FOR FALLS, PLAINS

Cable TV reception including 24-hour-a-day reception from four national superstations along with two local (Spokane and Missoula) stations and pay TV monies may be offered to viewers in Thompson Falls, Plains and Ronan in the near future by Lawrence J. McCarthy and Associates.

McCarthy last week applied for a license from the Thompson Falls City Council to operate the cable system here. He said he has also applied for licenses in Plains and Ronan.

Obtaining licenses in the three towns is part of a final survey now being undertaken by McCarthy’s firms. He said a preliminary study done early was encouraging. Hot Springs is too small at present to justify the cable system, McCarthy said.

Antenna disks to receive signals directly from a satellite will be installed in all three towns to receive signals from the four superstations, such as those broadcasting 24 hours daily from Atlanta, Chicago, New York City and the West Coast. Two local stations to provide Montana and Inland Empire news and programming would be received also.

The signals for the four superstations, two locals and pay TV would be piped into homes by cables, strung along telephone poles or underground, McCarthy said.

He said the cable TV service would not affect present reception from local translator systems and he will encourage all three communities to retain their present TV translators.

McCarthy emphasized, “Our cable TV service is not designed to replace present systems, but to supplement and augment present TV programming. Since our cable TV signals will be brought into homes by cable, we can use any channels available without interfering with local translator service.

“We can carry as many as 35 channels if necessary,” said McCarthy. “Our antenna system will be able to provide a wealth of data, such as stock market reports and other information when needed. It is also possible that a channel in the future could be devoted for local programming if desired.”

He said a local survey would be conducted to determine what stations a community wants. All three communities could choose different stations.

No decision has been made as to which pay TV system – Home Box Office, Warner Shows, ABC or others – will be utilized. Customers of the cable TV would be billed an extra charge for the additional pay TV reception, which is optional.

McCarthy’s firm would make a one-time installation charge and then bill cable users monthly. Customers using the pay TV also, will be billed an additional charge.

A local manager to handle service and maintenance will be maintained in each town, McCarthy said.

McCarthy said his proposed cable TV service should not be thought of as a replacement for present translator systems. “We will only be able to serve the densely populated areas of a community and elimination of the present translators would deprive many homes of any TV service. McCarthy noted that because he lives between Plains and Thompson Falls his home would not be able to receive cable TV and his family would have to continue to rely on the present translator reception.

He said the quality of the picture obtained over the cable will be superb.

The earth stations to be installed at Thompson Falls, Plains and Ronan would receive signals from a broadcasting satellite and then send the signal out over cables to individual homes.

The pay TV portion will offer first run movies primarily. Some systems also offer sports events and cultural events.