(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
cable television - Britannica Concise
The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20061111021704/http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9359427/cable-television
 

System that distributes television signals by means of coaxial or fibre-optic cables.

Cable television systems originated in the U.S. in the early 1950s to improve reception in remote and hilly areas, where broadcast signals were weak. In the 1960s they were introduced in large metropolitan areas where reception is sometimes degraded by reflection of signals from tall buildings. Since the mid-1970s there has been a proliferation of cable systems that offer special services and which generally charge a monthly fee. Besides providing high-quality signals, some systems can deliver hundreds of channels. Another feature increasingly offered by cable operators is two-way, interactive communication by which viewers can, for example, participate in public-opinion polls as well as connect to the Internet. Cable operators are also involved in the development of video compression, digital transmission, and high-definition television.

article 176Britannica Store

New! 2007 Encyclopædia Britannica Print Set
Revised, updated, and still unrivaled.

New! Britannica 2007 Ultimate DVD/CD-ROM
The world's premier software reference source.

Great Books of the Western World
The greatest written works in one magnificent collection.

More on "cable television" from Britannica Concise:
More on "cable television" from the 32 Volume Encyclopædia Britannica:
Search for "cable television" at Encyclopædia Britannica Online for all this plus dictionary definitions, magazine articles, and more.
Britannica Concise is a complete, 28,000 article, single-volume encyclopedia from the editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. Visit Encyclopædia Britannica Online to access the complete Encyclopædia Britannica, the Britannica Student Encyclopedia, a world atlas, interactive timelines, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, hundreds of magazine titles, daily features and much more.