cable television
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
companies serving eastern
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...
and western
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
. Service Electric also offers broadband Internet and telephone services through two partner companies, PenTeleData and Alianza.
Current affiliate systems
Service Electric Cable TV and Communications
*
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the n ...
, Pennsylvania,
Hunterdon
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,Warren counties in New Jersey
*
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in th ...
and surrounding communities in Luzerne County
Service Electric Cablevision
* Birdsboro, Pennsylvania and surrounding communities in Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties
*
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury is a city and county seat of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Central Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and wes ...
and surrounding communities in Northumberland, Montour, Columbia, Snyder, and Union counties
* Hazleton, Pennsylvania and surrounding communities in Luzerne, Schuylkill, Carbon, Columbia and Northumberland counties
The company was started in 1948 in Mahanoy City by John Walson, who owned a
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
appliance store. At the time, the surrounding mountains in
Schuylkill County
Schuylkill County (, ; Pennsylvania Dutch: Schulkill Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the heart of Pennsylvania's Coal Region and is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the populat ...
made over-the-air reception from Philadelphia television stations difficult. Walson, who was interested in selling television sets through his store, solved the problem by building an antenna on top of the mountain overlooking the town. He initially ran a cable to his warehouse and then to his appliance store, using boosters to enhance the signal. Along the way, he hooked up neighbors to the antenna system. Although there are others who have laid claim to the honor, Walson is often recognized for having built the first cable TV system in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. Until Walson's death, the company was known as Service Electric Cable TV, Inc., which was based in
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital ...
.
In early 2011 Service Electric commenced offloading cable systems from its Service Electric Cable Company affiliate. Service Electric Cable TV, Inc. was composed of three divisions, eventually becoming Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, Service Electric Cable TV of New Jersey, and Service Electric Cablevision.
The cable system in Wilkes-Barre and vicinity moved operations to Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, which is currently based in Bethlehem, and services the Greater Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre in PA, and Hunterdon and Warren Counties in NJ.
On February 18, 2011 the Service Electric Cablevision affiliate acquired CATV Service Inc. based in Danville, Pennsylvania. The cable system in Mahanoy City became a 'sister company' to Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, taking the name "Service Electric Cablevision" - serving Birdsboro, Hazleton, and Sunbury, PA. The Cablevision corporate office is located in Allentown.
John E. Walson, eldest son of John Walson ran Service Electric Cable TV, Inc. for 38 years until his death in August 2012. John M. Walson has taken over the role of president since his father's death.
On July 13, 2020, Altice, a cable, phone and internet provider based in Long Island City, Queens, acquired Service Electric Cable TV of New Jersey, servicing Sussex County, NJ, for $150 million.
Service Electric Network (SEN)
The company's Lehigh Valley system operates Service Electric Network (SEN), a local origination cable
television station
A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity, such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the ear ...
. Service Electric Network carries local news and sports, including coverage of East Penn Conference. high school football, boys and girls
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
and
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
, as well as several
Lehigh University
Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Ep ...
football games. In 2008, Service Electric Network began carrying home games of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the AAA-level Minor League affiliate of the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wel ...
. The station has also added coverage of the Reading Phillies, the Philadelphia Phillies' AA-level minor league affiliateFybush, Scott NERW Special: Baseball on the Radio ''NorthEast Radio Watch''. Retrieved 2011-04-04. as well as
Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Union compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the club began playing in 2010 ...
affiliate Bethlehem Steel FC. The network rebranded to Service Electric Network from TV2 Sports in May of 2020.
Market Environment
In the Lehigh Valley, an "overbuild" environment exists in many communities in which subscribers can choose between two competing cable television providers. Service Electric and RCN offer similar, though not duplicative, programming packages. In most other areas served by one of Service Electric's family of companies, they are the only viable provider.