“We would love to be on there in Frankfort because we can’t get the signal there,” is what a Louisville television station is purported to have written in a 1951 letter to the organizers of the Frankfort, KY cable system. As someone who overlapped with one of the founders and a key driver of this early cable system, John Higginbotham is a bridge between the early days of cable television, when it was a community antenna for rural locales, to today’s gigabit, interactive broadband networks.

He explains that the system has been rebuilt eight times in the 60+ years since it was launched. He talks about the challenges of determining the right choice for the impending 9th rebuild. As part of the municipal utility, they have been able to invest in the community, but, at the same time, they have maintained a reserve for capital improvements to ensure their network remains competitive.

Sadly for the industry, John just retired from many years of service as the Superintendent of Cable/Telecommunications of the Frankfort Plant Board. We wish you the best John and will miss you at future industry events!

ACA Summit coverage is brought to you by the ACA and ViodiTV.