About Us

In the Blue Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania lies a picturesque, quiet, wholesome town of Palmerton. However, it was less than an ideal location for off the air reception of television signals.

Reception of the three Philadelphia channels, 3, 6, and 10 were snowy, if visible at all. Claude E. Reinhard, a New Jersey Zinc company engineer was determined to change the way the citizens of Palmerton obtained entertainment. "Someday there will be an antenna on the mountain and all the homes of the town will have a clear television signal." His vision of the future propelled Blue Ridge Cable Television to one of the top 25 cable operators in the country today.

Beginning with a small group of local investors, Claude founded the Palmerton TV Signal Corporation in 1950. The Borough of Palmerton granted the fledgling Company permission to install coaxial cable for delivery of television signal. A year later, Palmerton TV Signal Corporation erected an antenna site atop the Blue Mountain and installed a pole line from the Mountain to the Palmerton Sokol Hall. The first clear, cable-carried television signals for channels 3, 6, &10 from Philadelphia were, for the first time, viewed in Palmerton.

By 1953, the cable subscriptions were expanding rapidly and two New York channels, 9 and 11, were added.

The company pioneered local origination programming, using PTVC as the call letters, when in 1959, it broadcast from the projection Booth of the Palm Theater on Delaware Avenue in Palmerton. Later that year, PTVC expanded to a larger studio at 350 Delaware Avenue, Palmerton.

Carbon Cable Television, Inc. was established in 1960 as a result of Palmerton TV Signal Corporation's acquisition of Lehigh Trans-Video of Lehighton and Mauch Chunk Television Services, Inc. of Jim Thorpe, PA.

Lehighton became a focal point of local programming when in 1961, Carbon Cable TV established a second TV studio interconnected with the Palmerton studio. From these locations, simultaneous live and remote cablecasts of local parades, bowling tournaments, local news, etc., fueled subscription growth to a total of 4,800 homes. By 1962, subscribers totaled 5,200.

Always at the forefront of innovation in the industry, Carbon Cable TV rebuilt its system to provide 12 channels and a complete FM band. In 1964, a $5 installation fee and $3.50 a month made cable television available to those who otherwise would not be able to receive TV signals at all.

To more accurately represent the rapid expansion of service territory, the company name was changed in 1971 to Blue Ridge Cable Television, Inc. as its cable television services extended into the Poconos (Monroe County) and the Panther Valley Area. During the next two years, Blue Ridge Cable TV, Inc. acquired smaller systems in the Monroe, Pike, Lehigh, Wayne, and Bradford counties in PA.

In 1974, Blue Ridge Cable was one of the three cable systems in the United States to introduce Home Box Office starting a new revolution in television entertainment. Later that year, Blue Ridge's local programming left the black and white world behind with the introduction of color television cameras.

The acquisitions continued in 1975 as Blue Ridge purchased a cable system in Ephrata in south central PA.

Since 1975, Blue Ridge Cable has acquired numerous small cable systems throughout central and eastern Pennsylvania and now serves over 175,000 homes.

We are very proud of our Emmy Award nominated local origination channels, TV 13 and Cable 11 and their commitment to charitable organizations. Over the years, Blue Ridge has been a big part in the fundraising efforts of the local chapter of the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, Dream Come True, the Easter Seals, Big Brothers-Big Sisters, and the Palmerton Hospital, to name a few.

Blue Ridge Communications is a full service communications provider. We offer digital cable, On Demand, High Definition (HDTV), Digital Video Recording (DVR), and High Speed Internet access. Blue Ridge Communications also provides quality local and long distance telephone service in select areas.

With an ever increasing network of fiber optic cable, Blue Ridge Communications' endeavors are only beginning. The information age is here and Blue Ridge Communications is and will be a leader in the industry.