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OUR STORY

What was then.

Idea generation happens much the same way today as it did more than 75 years ago when the cable industry began. The original entrepreneurs perceived a need, had an idea, and identified the resources to connect people in ways that had never been done before. From the invention of the first modem to link communities to the enhancement of television signal reception in remote areas, the original entrepreneurs forever changed an industry and laid the foundation for decades of innovation to come.

To tell the entrepreneurial story of how the cable industry foundation was built and inspire the next generation of innovators, pioneers from the cable television industry partnered with The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in 1985. Originally called the National Cable Television Center and Museum (NCTCM), this hub for inspiration and education originated in a classroom building on the Penn State campus. The original architects wanted to ensure that, while their center would house a library, museum, and oral histories of the industry, it would also be the place where cable employees and leaders could gather for training and continuous learning. It soon became a space for ideas to be exchanged, innovations to take off, and leaders to find inspiration.

The NCTCM relocated to Denver, Colorado—“the Cable Capitol”—in the mid 1990s and eventually found its home on the University of Denver campus. In 2001, we opened the Alan Gerry Cable Center Building as a private nonprofit. Though separate from the University, both institutions share many of the same industry donors and patrons, which laid the foundation for a very friendly and supportive partnership. A year later, we officially rebranded the NCTCM as The Cable Center to align with our forward-looking mission of providing a central place for education, training, and mentorship for innovators and leaders in the cable and connectivity industry while maintaining the most extensive collection of industry accounts and objects.

The rebranding to The Cable Center allowed us to deepen our commitment to advancing our industry’s greatest source of ideas—its people—offering programs on innovation, leadership, and customer experience management, among many other subjects. We hosted a Cable Boot Camp in conjunction with Women In Cable and Telecommunications, collaborated with C-SPAN on a long-running political science class, presented panels at trade shows here and abroad, published books, sponsored Cable Mavericks lectures at colleges all over the country, hosted the industry’s customer experience management initiative, and built an impressive library and archive of objects and oral histories to document the evolution of the industry for researchers of all kinds. We’re proud of these accomplishments and the impact we’ve made on inspired leaders and driven innovators amongst our graduates and participants.

The launch of Intrapreneurship Academy in 2017 started as a single professional development course, and in a few short years expanded to a series of extensive leadership development courses for industry standouts. Just as the original industry entrepreneurs launched an industry and legacy through innovation, hard work, and grit, Intrapreneurship Academy empowers today’s intrapreneurs to evoke that same entrepreneurial spirit within their organizations, pushing boundaries, accelerating innovation, and driving our industry ecosystem forward. Our graduates finish Intrapreneurship Academy courses prepared to implement new skills and lead with confidence as intrapreneurs who work together to shape what’s next. Today, we complement our coursework with thought leadership programming—both here in our facility and online—and an unmatched educational content library, ensuring the mentorship and learning our founders imagined.

What is now.

In 2019, our executive team took steps to evaluate The Cable Center’s role in an industry that is constantly evolving. We shared our blueprint for the future via Vision 2025, a clear, research-enriched, strategic business plan that embraces our rich past while positioning us to thrive in the future. As part of this vision, in 2023 we launched Syndeo Institute at The Cable Center. The Syndeo Institute name embodies an environment of synergies, change, connection, and collaboration to innovate and inspire. This new name and outlook keep us on the forefront of an industry that we helped build. We simultaneously celebrate past accomplishments and reflect on years of history-making, while taking that knowledge and experience to move forward and empower innovators and designers of the future of our industry.

Idea generation happens much the same way today as it did more than 75 years ago when the cable industry began. The original entrepreneurs perceived a need, had an idea, and identified the resources to connect people in ways that had never been done before. From the invention of the first modem to link communities to the enhancement of television signal reception in remote areas, the original entrepreneurs forever changed an industry and laid the foundation for decades of innovation to come.

construction in The Dalles 1954
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70s 4 Children70s 4 Children watching Nickelodeons Pinwheel Qube watching Nickelodeons Pinwheel Qube
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Turner in CNN studio cv
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MTV logo poster
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Rich Jennings Comcast addressing IA class
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Fall 2018 TCC IA 008
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Our timeline

1974
1974
1974

Ben Conroy proposes “the foundation and maintenance of a cable TV source library” in a letter to his fellow Cable TV Pioneers.

1985
1985
1985

1985 NCTCMThe Cable TV Pioneers and The Pennsylvania State University work together to establish The National Cable Television Center and Museum (NCTCM).

1986
1986
1986

1986 NCTCMNCTCM records on audiotape the first nine oral histories documenting industry innovation.

1994
1994
1994

1994 Marlowe-Froke-&-Bill-BresnanBill Bresnan and the Cable TV Pioneers announce NCTCM will be a free-standing and independent institution in Denver, Colorado.

1995
1995
1995

NCTCM moves to Denver, Colorado.

1998
1998
1998

1998 CHOFNCTCM’s Cable Television Hall of Fame inducts its first six members.

The DeSo Foundation funds the DeSorrento Internship Program located at The Cable Center to introduce students to dynamic careers in the industry. Today, those funds support the student ambassadors who attend and volunteer during the One Day Immersion.

1999
1999
1999

1999 The Cable CenterNCTCM holds a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Denver home: Alan Gerry Cable Center Building.

2000
2000
2000

2000 History Between Their EarsNCTCM publishes its first book, History Between Their Ears, by Archer Taylor, a look at the first quarter century of cable television engineering.

NCTCM graduates the first class of the Chinese Executive Media Management Program (CEMMP).

2001
2001
2001

2001 TCC building with flagsNCTCM opens its doors in the new Alan Gerry Cable Center Building.

2002
2002
2002

2002 C SPANThe C-SPAN Distance Learning Initiative is formed by C-SPAN, NCTCM, and the University of Denver. This political science class is broadcast live, simultaneously connecting students at the C-SPAN studio, NCTCM, Pace University, and George Mason University. The course runs for 10 years.

NCTCM formally changes its name to The Cable Center to emphasize its mission as an educational nonprofit that fuels the advancement of the connectivity and content industry.

The Cable Center hosts The Cable Television Hall of Fame Celebration in Denver, Colorado for the first time; celebrates the Grand opening of the Alan Gerry Cable Center Building.

The Cable Center renames its atrium as the “Bill Daniels Great Hall” for cable pioneer and philanthropist, Bill Daniels.

2005
2005
2005

2005 Charlotte Field Mavericks MinesThe Cable Center launches its Cable Mavericks Lecture Series for university audiences.

2005 Pioneer TalesThe Cable Center publishes Archer Taylor’s Pioneer Tales from Cable TV History.

2006
2006
2006

The Cox Customer Experience Initiative and the James M. Cox Chair in Customer Care are established with an endowment from the James M. Cox Foundation and Cox Communications.

The Cable Center partners with the University of Colorado’s Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program and Denver Telecom Professionals to host the Key Issues Series, inspiring the next generation of industry innovators.

2007
2007
2007

2007  C5 meetingThe Cable Center takes over the industry’s Customer Care Committee from CTAM, later known as the Cable Center Customer Centric Consortium or “C5”, dedicated to excellence in customer experience.

2008
2008
2008

2008 cable boot camp participantsThe Cable Center unveils The Cable Hall of Fame exhibit in the Alan Gerry Cable Center Building.

2008---CHOF-exhibit-ribbon-cuttingThe Cable Center and Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) present the first Cable Boot Camp and Beyond to empower women in the industry.

2009
2009
2009

The Cable Center creates “Customer Care Central” to provide a collection of programs and initiatives focused on improving customer experiences and customer care management; includes C5 and the Cox Chair in CEM.

2010
2010
2010

2010 CEM bookThe Cable Center in partnership with CableFax publishes Customer Experience Management: Lessons and Insights for the Cable Industry.

2011
2011
2011

2011 ODIThe Cable Center hosts the first Cable Mavericks Masters Forum, One Day Degree in Cable event in New York City to engage a new generation of industry change-makers.

2012
2012
2012

2012 Malone Theater dedication 2012 DSCThe Cable Center theater is named the “John Malone Theater” through a Liberty Global sponsorship.

2015
2015
2015

2015 Cable IndustryThe Cable Center publishes The Cable Industry: A Short History Through Three Generations by Larry Satkowiak.

2016
2016
2016

The Cable Center debuts its interactive VR Project, bringing 30 artifacts to life via virtual reality.

2017
2017
2017

2017 John Sie in Breen ArchivesThe Cable Center creates the Community of Innovators to connect students, industry rising stars, and entrepreneurs.

2017 TCC IAIntrapreneurship Academy at The Cable Center launches its first course on the process of innovation. By the end of 2022, Intrapreneurship Academy will offer 16 sessions of “Driving Innovation.”

The Cable Center dedicates the Breen Technical Archives after a gift from Edward Breen.

2018
2018
2018

2018 TCC Ambassadors GroupThe Cable Center founds the Cable Ambassadors Council to help support the organization’s mission to connect people and ideas.

2019
2019
2019

2019 Lou Borelli oral historyThe Cable Center marks the 400th episode of its oral history series with the filming of Lou Borelli’s industry contribution in The Cable Center Studio.

2021
2021
2021

Intrapreneurship Academy at The Cable Center launches first Leading with Agility course. By the end of 2022, Intrapreneurship Academy will offer six sessions of “Leading with Agility.”

2022
2022
2022

2022 CHOF22The Cable Center holds its 25th Annual Cable Hall of Fame Celebration in New York City.

Intrapreneurship Academy at The Cable Center launches first Intrapreneurial Leadership course.

2023
2023
2023

The Cable Center launches Syndeo Institute at The Cable Center, providing a discovery, education, and collaboration hub where current and future leaders exchange information and push the boundaries of innovation in connectivity.

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