TelePrompTer Corporation
Encyclopedia
TelePrompTer Corporation was a cable
corporation started by Irving B. Kahn
, Fred Barton, Jr (a Broadway theatre actor) and Hubert Schlafly
. During the course of the corporation, in the 50's TelePrompTer invented the idea of actors in soap operas reading their lines by prompters
, not scripts as they had been. The first such use of a teleprompter was in the short-lived CBS
soap opera "The First Hundred Years." PR men handled the teleprompters. TeleprompTer itself sold its eponymous business in the 1960s and invested in cable and satellite broadcast services; Schafly cooperated with Hughes Aircraft Company to develop microwave video transmission services. TeleprompTer's Kahn was imprisoned for trying to bribe members of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania
city council to award his company a local cable franchise. The company was revitalized in 1974; in 1981 it was sold to The New York Times Company
, which then eventually sold it in 1989.
Cable
A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
corporation started by Irving B. Kahn
Irving B. Kahn
Irving Berlin Kahn born in Newark, New Jersey. Founder of TelePrompTer Corporation and Cable TV. Nephew of his namesake, Irving Berlin. Died in Boston, Massachusetts. Survived by his wife of 45 years, Elizabeth Heslin Kahn, his two daughters, Ruth and Jean, of New York and his sister, Mildred...
, Fred Barton, Jr (a Broadway theatre actor) and Hubert Schlafly
Hubert Schlafly
Hubert Joseph "Hub" Schlafly Jr. was an American electrical engineer who co-invented the teleprompter. Schlafly is also credited with spearheading the movement towards satellite television within the industry....
. During the course of the corporation, in the 50's TelePrompTer invented the idea of actors in soap operas reading their lines by prompters
Teleprompter
An autocue is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script. Using a teleprompter is similar to the practice of using cue cards...
, not scripts as they had been. The first such use of a teleprompter was in the short-lived CBS
CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
soap opera "The First Hundred Years." PR men handled the teleprompters. TeleprompTer itself sold its eponymous business in the 1960s and invested in cable and satellite broadcast services; Schafly cooperated with Hughes Aircraft Company to develop microwave video transmission services. TeleprompTer's Kahn was imprisoned for trying to bribe members of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
city council to award his company a local cable franchise. The company was revitalized in 1974; in 1981 it was sold to The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company is an American media company best known as the publisher of its namesake, The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. has served as Chairman of the Board since 1997. It is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City....
, which then eventually sold it in 1989.