Service Electric Cablevision

Service Electric Cablevision, Inc., incorporated in early 1991, is one of several successor corporations to a community antenna television (now called cable television) business started by John and Margaret Walson in the spring of 1948. Service Electric Company, the original name, was formed by Mr. and Mrs. Walson in the mid-1940s to sell, install, and repair General Electric appliances in the Mahanoy City area of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. In 1947, they began selling television sets; however, it was nearly impossible to receive the three Philadelphia network stations in Mahanoy City because the town is surrounded by mountains. Due to the geographical interference, Mr. Walson decided to erect a utility pole on top of a nearby mountain, placed an antenna on top of the pole, and thus demonstrated television. In an attempt to increase sales, he connected the tower site to their appliance store by using wire/cable and modified signal boosters.