| Type | Manufacturing company |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1950 |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Products | Cable television equipment |
Jerrold Electronics was an American provider of cable television equipment, including subscriber converter boxes, distribution network equipment (amplifiers, multitap outlets), and headend equipment in the United States.
History
The company was founded by future Pennsylvania governor Milton Jerrold Shapp (the company name was derived from his middle name) in 1950.[1] The company was one of the earliest pioneers of community antenna television systems (cable television). The company headquarters was located at 401 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Shapp sold the company to General Instrument in 1967. However, the Jerrold brand name continued to be used on equipment into the 1990s.
In the late 1990s, the Jerrold name went out of use, and General Instrument merged with Motorola becoming the Motorola Connected Home Solutions division. Motorola Connected Home Solutions was acquired by Arris in 2012. The equipment was popular with many cable pirates by then and by 2005, most cable companies have discontinued use of Jerrold equipment in favor of digital cable.
See also
- Cable television in the United States
- Keneth Alden Simons
Notes
- ^ Pierre-Pierre, Garry (November 26, 1994). "Milton J. Shapp Is Dead at 82: Ex-Governor of Pennsylvania". New York Times.
References
There are a number of sources available covering the history of Jerrold and the cable industry as a whole.
- Parsons, P. Blue Skies: A History of Cable Television Temple University Press, 2008
- Extensive history
- Stubbs, G. From workhorse to icon. The 704 Jerrold Field Strength Meter CED Magazine, November/December 2004, p. 42
- History of one notable instrument
- Taylor, A.S. History Between Their Ears: Recollections of Pioneer CATV Engineers The Cable Center, 2000
- Histories of key engineering staff involved
External links
- [1] NCTA (National Cable & Telecommunications Association) History of Cable Television. Washington, DC 2001
- Brief narrative history
- [2] United States: Cable Television The Museum of Broadcast Communications 2001
- Extensive, well documented
- [3] Young, C. RFMD. CATV Hybrid Amplifier Modules: Past, Present, Future’’ (RFMD Greensboro 2009)
- History of CATV amplifier development