Service Electric
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1948inMahanoy City, Pennsylvania,U.S. |
| Headquarters | 2260 Avenue A,Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,U.S. |
| Products | Cable television,cable telephony,internet service provider |
| Owner | Service Electric Cable TV and Communications |
| Website | www |
Service Electricis a group of affiliatedcable televisioncompanies serving easternPennsylvaniaand westernNew Jersey.The company is headquartered inBethlehem, Pennsylvaniain theLehigh Valley.
Service Electric also offers broadband Internet and telephone services through PenTeleData and Alianza. both of which are partner companies.[1]
Current affiliate systems[edit]
Service Electric Cable TV and Communications[edit]
- Lehigh Valley,Pennsylvania andHunterdonandWarrencounties inNew Jersey
- Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvaniaand surrounding communities inLuzerne County
Service Electric Cablevision[edit]
- Birdsboro, Pennsylvaniaand surrounding communities inBerks,Chester,andLancastercounties
- Sunbury, Pennsylvaniaand surrounding communities inColumbia,Montour,Northumberland,Snyder,andUnioncounties
- Hazleton, Pennsylvaniaand surrounding communities inCarbon,Columbia,Luzerne,Northumberland,andSchuylkillcounties
Former affiliate systems[edit]
Service Electric Broadband Cable[edit]
- Sussex County, New Jersey(acquired byAltice USAin 2020)
History[edit]
The company was started in 1948 inMahanoy City, PennsylvaniabyJohn Walson,who owned aGeneral Electricappliance store. At the time, the surrounding mountains inSchuylkill Countymade over-the-air reception fromPhiladelphiatelevision stations difficult. Walson was interested in selling television sets through his store, and 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.[2]Although there are others who have laid claim to the honor, Walson is often recognized for having built the firstcable TV systemin theUnited States.[3]Until Walson's death, the company was known as Service Electric Cable TV, Inc., which was based inBethlehem.
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 toService Electric Cable TV & Communications,which is currently based inBethlehem, Pennsylvania,and services theLehigh ValleyandNortheastern Pennsylvaniaregions inPennsylvaniaandHunterdonandWarrencounties inNew Jersey.
On February 18, 2011 theService Electric Cablevisionaffiliate acquired CATV Service Inc., based inDanville, Pennsylvania.The cable system in Mahanoy City became a sister company to Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, taking the nameService Electric Cablevisionand servingBirdsboro,Hazleton,and Sunbury. 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 USA,a cable, phone, and internet provider headquartered inLong Island City, New York,acquired Service Electric Cable TV of New Jersey, which servicedSussex County, New Jersey,for $150 million.[4]
Service Electric Network (SEN)[edit]
The company'sLehigh Valleysystem operates Service Electric Network (SEN), alocal originationcabletelevision station.Service Electric Network carries local news and sports, including coverage ofEast Penn Conferencehigh schoolfootball,boys and girlsbasketball,andwrestling,and someLehigh Universityfootball games.
In 2008, Service Electric Network began carrying home games of theLehigh Valley IronPigs,the AAA-level Minor League affiliate of thePhiladelphia Phillies.[5]The games are televised fromCoca-Cola ParkinAllentown.[6]Service Electric Network also carries home games of theLehigh Valley Phantoms,theAHLaffiliate of thePhiladelphia Flyers.The station has added coverage of theReading Phillies,the Philadelphia Phillies' AA-level minor league baseball affiliate,[7]andBethlehem Steel FCsoccer games. The network rebranded asService Electric NetworkfromTV2 Sportsin May 2020.
Market environment[edit]
In theLehigh Valley,an overbuild environment exists in many communities in which subscribers can choose between two competing cable television providers. Service Electric andRCNoffer similar but not duplicative programming packages. InWilkes-Barre,Service Electric competes with newcomerLoop Internet,a local internet service provider specializing infiber-optic communicationincludinginternetandtelephone.Despite not offering cable television plans, Loop competes with Service Electric by offering faster Internet plans as well asVOIPtelephone services. In most other areas served by one of Service Electric's family of companies, the company is the only viable provider.
References[edit]
- ^"Our Partners".Service Electric official website.Retrieved2021-10-06.
- ^"Our Founder".Service Electric official website.Retrieved2011-03-31.
- ^Moss, Linda."In the Keystone State, Service Electric Thrives".Multichannel News, August 1, 2005.Retrieved2008-07-26.
- ^Service Electric Digital Marketing Team (July 17, 2020)."Goodbye Service Electric: Altice USA closes acquisition of utility".New Jersey Herald.RetrievedJuly 22,2020.
- ^"2 Sports website".Retrieved2008-07-26.
- ^"Lehigh Valley IronPigs official website".Retrieved2008-07-26.
- ^Fybush, Scott.NERW Special: Baseball on the Radio.NorthEast Radio Watch.Retrieved 2011-04-04.