{"id":229,"date":"2015-08-03T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2015-08-03T13:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/?p=229"},"modified":"2018-01-08T13:45:10","modified_gmt":"2018-01-08T18:45:10","slug":"golden-triangle-communications-and-catv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/08\/03\/golden-triangle-communications-and-catv\/","title":{"rendered":"Golden Triangle Communications and CATV"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Golden<\/a>

Golden Triangle Communications, Inc. Logo. Taken from “Cable Television Proposal Prepared for Denton, Texas.” Tom Harpool Collection, University of North Texas Special Collections.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

In 2015, there aren\u2019t many people who pay a cable bill anymore. Instead, they opt for streaming services that offer more flexibility with a much lower cost. However, it wasn\u2019t long ago when people were so excited to get a clear picture on their TV\u2019s, they\u2019d eagerly pay the $8.50 a month for 30 channels. Cable television was an exciting new opportunity that promised great innovation in all areas of life–education, entertainment, news, shopping, and more.<\/p>\r\n

$8.50–that was the estimated monthly fee established by the fledgling Golden Triangle Communications company in a proposal for CATV (Community Antenna Television) in Denton. The proposal promised stations that would entertain and educate Denton citizens, as well as inform them about community and government events. Two stations would even be given to the two universities in Denton-NTSU and TWU–to use for educational purposes. A total of 30 channels were planned, including a premium channel such as HBO and six stations held in reserve for future use. Golden Triangle Communications, Inc. also promised to pay the city of Denton 3% of the income made through monthly subscriptions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"Page<\/a>

Page one of City of Denton Memorandum, January 24, 1977. Tom Harpool Collection, University of North Texas Special Collections.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Community Antenna Television was first established in the 1940\u2019s in areas where residents couldn\u2019t receive television signals, usually due to topographical barriers like hills, mountains, or, in the case of New York City, skyscrapers. Neighbors would pitch in for an antenna that everyone could share to get a better picture into their homes. It became evident that people were willing to pay handsomely for cable, and CATV emerged as a commercial venture. The FCC stepped in to regulate CATV in 1966, claiming cable television to be under federal jurisdiction. In 1972, the FCC deregulated the industry, but left CATV with a set of rules to follow. The impact of these rules on Denton\u2019s broadcast opportunities is detailed in the cable proposal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"memo_page2\"<\/a>

Page two of City of Denton Memorandum, January 24, 1977. Tom Harpool Collection, University of North Texas Special Collections.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Golden Triangle Communications was established with strong ties with the Denton Publishing Company, the corporation that owned and operated the Denton Record-Chronicle. Riley Cross bought the Chronicle in 1945, and Mrs. Vivian Cross took the reigns after his passing in 1970. She also headed the new Golden Triangle Communications.<\/p>\r\n

The Tom Harpool Collecti<\/a>on<\/a> in UNT\u2019s Special Collections department offers literature written by both Golden Triangle Communications, Inc. and the Denton City Utility Board on this proposed cable ordinance. Tom Harpool was a graduate from North Texas State Teachers\u2019 College in 1939, and he had great influence on Denton\u2019s growth through involvement in civic organizations, including the School Board, Utilities Board, and Upper Trinity Regional Water District. Tom Harpool Middle School is named in his honor.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a0
\r\n -by Alexandra Traxinger Sch\u00fctz<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"  In 2015, there aren\u2019t many people who pay a cable bill anymore. Instead, they opt for streaming services that offer more flexibility with a much lower cost. However, it wasn\u2019t long ago when people were so excited to get a clear picture on their TV\u2019s, they\u2019d eagerly pay the $8.50 a month for 30… Read more »<\/a>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[43,44,45,42,46],"class_list":["post-229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-cable","tag-catv","tag-fcc","tag-television","tag-utilities","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p60UnY-3H","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":126,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/05\/19\/the-texas-triangle\/","url_meta":{"origin":229,"position":0},"title":"The Texas Triangle","author":"UNT Special Collections","date":"May 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 The collections being exposed within the Southwest Metroplex blog all share the chaos and excitement that overcame the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the decades following World War II. UNT\u2019s Special Collections department houses items documenting the enormous population boom in North Texas, tremendous strides made in transportation and urban\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"dfwstats","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/05\/dfwstats-400x502.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":523,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2016\/01\/27\/storybook-land\/","url_meta":{"origin":229,"position":1},"title":"Storybook Land","author":"Alexandra","date":"January 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1956, Mother Goose and her brood settled down in the metroplex. Storybook Land opened in April of that year to the delight of area children, who flocked with their families to the theme park located just east of Carter Field on Highway 183. Any theme park with a storytale\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Storybook Land Map, taken from http:\/\/bacougars66.com\/","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":313,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/09\/21\/the-statler-hilton-dallas\/","url_meta":{"origin":229,"position":2},"title":"The Statler-Hilton Dallas","author":"Alexandra","date":"September 21, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 In 1956, Dallas gained what was hailed as the finest hotel of modern times: the Statler-Hilton, located downtown at 1914 Commerce Street. The building boasted amenities unheard of at the time, including elevator music, custom 21\u201d Westinghouse television sets, as well as conference rooms and ballrooms on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Conrad Hilton\"","block_context":{"text":"Conrad Hilton","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/conrad-hilton\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Helicopter on Statler-Hilton Helipad","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/metapth66941_l_01003-00448_01-740x894.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/metapth66941_l_01003-00448_01-740x894.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/metapth66941_l_01003-00448_01-740x894.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2014\/12\/16\/sleepy-farm-village-of-richardson-hit-by-building-boom\/","url_meta":{"origin":229,"position":3},"title":"\u201cSleepy farm village\u201d of Richardson hit by building boom","author":"William","date":"December 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"As odd as it may sound today to describe Richardson as a sleepy farm village, this is exactly how it was viewed less than 70 years ago. Boasting a population of just 1,300 in 1950, the town would soon experience rapid growth as Central Expressway-a main Dallas transportation artery-neared completion\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"RichardsonNBCScript","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/RichardsonNBCScript-234x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":438,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/10\/28\/shh-texas-wiretaps\/","url_meta":{"origin":229,"position":4},"title":"Shh… Texas Wiretaps","author":"Alexandra","date":"October 28, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Drugs weren\u2019t really a big scandal in the United States until the 1960\u2019s. A few anti-drug laws were established earlier than this, but drugs were not an enigmatic or scary aspect of American culture. This was mostly because drugs circulated among minority groups, like Mexican immigrants, African Americans, and even\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"drugs\"","block_context":{"text":"drugs","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/drugs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Header of \"Capitol Dialogue\" Newsletter, UNTA_AR0177-065-002_01","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/10\/UNTA_AR0177-065-002_01-740x311.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/10\/UNTA_AR0177-065-002_01-740x311.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/10\/UNTA_AR0177-065-002_01-740x311.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/10\/UNTA_AR0177-065-002_01-740x311.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2014\/09\/03\/the-southwest-federal-regional-council\/","url_meta":{"origin":229,"position":5},"title":"The Southwest Federal Regional Council","author":"Morgan","date":"September 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1972, President Richard Nixon (1969-1974) established Federal Regional Councils for ten different regions of the United States. The purpose of the Councils was to foster interagency communications and to strengthen relations between federal, state, and local governments. The ultimate goal was to ensure federal laws and plans were implemented\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"UNTA_AR0316-005-002_01 - cover","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/UNTA_AR0316-005-002_01-cover-137x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":567,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229\/revisions\/567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}