Milwaukee cable history question

[PaulKTF]

I know before Time Warner came along we had Paragon (spelling?) and Century cable. I forget in which order though. I guess one bought out the other? Anyone remember the details? My memory is a little fuzzy on the specifics.

Ah for the days when we only had 35 cable channels to choose from, and HBO wasn't a premium channel.

[markd]

I found a couple interesting links with Google.

Cable history in Milwaukee:
http://www.ci.mil.wi.us/CableHistory1365.htm

Televisions history in Milwaukee (long but very interesting):
http://www.milwaukee-horror-hosts.com/MilwTV.html

-mark

[PaulKTF]

Very cool! I knew about Dick's page; but not that first link. Thanks! I had no idea that Time Warner was going to be in charge of the cable system here all the way back to the early 80's!

[LoadStar]

Before Time Warner, it depended where you were. There were tons of different cable companies all over the area. I remember having Jones Intercable up in the Cedarburg/Grafton area... then Marcus Cable... then finally Time Warner.

[Dick Nitelinger]

The suburbs around the City of Milwaukee all had different cable systems. The decision to award the city's franchise to Warner Cablevision was controversial. As I recall, a committee recommended that Viacom receive the franchise, but the Common Council voted for Warner instead.

- Dick :OnAir:

[Talos4]

As a matter of fact I remember that mess, It took 3 years to get to my neighborhood.  I gave up after a year and got my first OTA HBO AND Selectv antennas.

Nothing like watching HBO Part time.

Those were the days!:D

[jeffski]

:rofl: ah yes, the days of push button cable boxes with 30 channels. I first got cable in 1981 in Hartland and I think it was RVS then? Then they were Paragon and then Century. Also was back in the days when MTV was actually watchable.

[kevbeck122]

We had Metrovision in Menomonee Falls.

[bradsmainsite]

Ahh a walk back down memory lane.  Had plymouth cable up in sheboygan county area still remember the boxes with the "slider":eek:  channel selector.  At the time I believe around 80 or 81' is when it arrived in the Cedar Grove area.  Lived in the country and coveted it every time I visited my grand parents "in town".

My how things have changed.  Now we have sooo many choices we get to argue amongst each other who is "BEST" when way back we were happy with the slider and 30 channels.

[PaulKTF]

Ahh a walk back down memory lane.  Had plymouth cable up in sheboygan county area still remember the boxes with the "slider":eek:  channel selector.  At the time I believe around 80 or 81' is when it arrived in the Cedar Grove area.  Lived in the country and coveted it every time I visited my grand parents "in town".

My how things have changed.  Now we have sooo many choices we get to argue amongst each other who is "BEST" when way back we were happy with the slider and 30 channels.

I was just about to ask about the slider channel selector- I remember when I was young (I was born in '80) and my family lived in New Berlin we had a slider box on top of our TV. You'd slide the white dial to the right and each "click" would move you ahead a channel as I recall. Anyone haev a picture of one of these things? I'd love to see it again.

[Chinatown]

Late, 1981.............1st premium channel was "The Movie Channel"......1st movie was "The Island" with Michael Caine............Yes, cable was pretty exciting back then........

[Den Mayer]

RVS.... Cable......  I seem to remember that early MKE name.......

     Robert V Steffan     or  Richard V Steffan??