Cable television
television content transmitted via signals on coaxial cable
Cable television is a system for delivering broadcast programming to viewers by radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cable and through fibre-optic cable. Cable television is contrasted with terrestrial television, wherein the television signal is transmitted over-the-air by radio waves and received by a television antenna; and with satellite television, wherein a communications satellite transmits the television signal over-the-air by way of radio waves which then are received by a satellite dish antenna. A cable channel (also cable network) is television programming transmitted by cable (coaxial or optical fibre) and by satellite television. Alternative terms for a cable channel include non-broadcast channel and programming service, the latter term is used in legal contexts.
In the U.S., in 1948, in order to provide television services to the rural areas of the country where the geography blocked television signals, the Community Antenna Television (CATV) program erected large television antennas atop hills and mountains, from which the coaxial cable was directly connected to the individual houses of the community. In 1968, 6.4 percent of households in the U.S. had cable television service, 7.5 percent in 1978, 52.8 percent in 1988, and 62.4 percent of households in 1994. Moreover, FM radio programming, high-speed Internet, and telephony communication services also are transmitted by cables. In the 20th century, analog television was the television standard, but in the 21st century, cable television systems have been upgraded to digital cable operations.
Distribution
To receive cable television at a given location, cable distribution lines must be available on the local utility poles or underground utility lines. Coaxial cable brings the signal to the customer's building through a service drop, an overhead or underground cable.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Cable television” as television content transmitted via signals on coaxial cable. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as television content transmitted via signals on coaxial cable. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q184452. The Library of Congress control number is sh85018575. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1948, 1968, 1978 and 1988.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Cable television”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Cable television primary sources, Cable television archive and Cable research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Cable television”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
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This entry incorporates text from “Cable television” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.