Jerrold Electronics

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 in 1950. 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.

There are a number of sources available covering the history of Jerrold and the cable industry as a whole.

References

• 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

• Cable television in the United States# Cable Television in the United States’(Wikipedia, last entry 2009)

Extensive treatment, but some updating is needed

• NCTA (National Cable & Telecommunications Association) History of Cable Television. Washington, DC 2001

Brief narrative history

• United States: Cable Television The Museum of Broadcast Communications 2001

Extensive, well documented

• Cable television in the United States Wikipedia Cable Television in the United States (Last modified 19 Feb. 2011)

Extensive treatment, but some updating is needed

• Keneth Alden Simons Wikipedia Keneth Alden Simons (last modified Feb. 20, 2011)

Brief history of key Jerrold engineer.

• Young, C. RFMD. CATV Hybrid Amplifier Modules: Past, resent, Future’’ (RFMD Greensboro 2000)

History of CATV amplifier development