TelePrompTer Corporation

TelePrompTer Corporation

Company type	Private
Industry	Media, Cable television
Founded	1950 (1950)
Founder	Irving B. Kahn, Fred Barton, Jr., Hubert Schlafly
Defunct	1981 (1981)
Headquarters	United States
Products	Teleprompter devices, Cable television services

TelePrompTer Corporation was a U.S.-based media enterprise active from 1950 until 1981, deriving its name from its flagship invention, the teleprompter—a device created by electrical engineer Hubert Schlafly to present scrolling text for on-camera talent or speakers, effectively replacing traditional cue cards. Over time, the term became synonymous with such prompting devices.

History

The company was established circa 1950 by entrepreneur Irving B. Kahn, Broadway performer Fred Barton, Jr., and Schlafly. Its teleprompter technology made its first appearance on CBS's soap opera The First Hundred Years in 1950, designed to aid actors in recalling their lines. At the outset, the teleprompters were operated by personnel from public relations departments.

During the 1960s, TelePrompTer divested from its original teleprompter manufacturing and redirected its efforts toward cable and satellite broadcasting services. In partnership with Hughes Aircraft Company, Schlafly worked on microwave video transmission innovations. Kahn faced legal issues in 1971 when convicted of attempting to bribe municipal officials for a cable franchise; he had stepped down as chairman prior to his incarceration, serving a 20-month sentence.

TelePrompTer grew through strategic acquisitions, notably acquiring the animation company Filmation in 1969 while keeping Lou Scheimer in the role of executive producer. The merger with H & B American Corporation in 1970 resulted in the formation of the largest cable operator in the United States. By 1973, TelePrompTer held the position as the country’s leading cable television provider.

Subsequently, the firm was acquired by Westinghouse, which merged its cable assets into Westinghouse Broadcasting and rebranded them as Group W Cable. In 1986, Westinghouse sold these cable holdings to Houston Industries (which later became Paragon Cable), with Comcast acquiring a 25% interest. The Filmation studio was sold in 1989 to Paravision International, controlled by L'Oréal, but Westinghouse shut down the studio prior to finalizing the sale, leaving only Filmation’s content library intact.

Today, most of the former TelePrompTer cable networks are managed by Charter Communications, while some remain under Comcast ownership.

See also

• Teleprompter Corp. v. Columbia Broadcasting (1974)
• Loretto v. Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp. (1982)

References

Notes

Further reading

• "Oral History of Monroe Rifkin", The Hauser Oral and Video History Collection, The Barco Library, The Cable Center, Denver, Colorado.