This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Size | 10.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 2450 items) |
Abstract | Correspondence and other material collected by Joseph M. Martin, Jr., of Spectrum Communications, Inc., Pittsboro, N.C., relating to cable and low-power television. The cable television material reflects the activities of Martin and his company as consultants to the city of Raleigh, N.C., at the time of the renewal of Cablevision of Raleigh's franchise, 1981-1983. The low-power television material consists of photocopies of applications to the Federal Communications Commission from groups wishing to establish low-power television stations in North Carolina and printed matter on the general subject of low-power television. |
Creator | Martin, Joseph M., collector. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: Roslyn Holdzkom, May 1987
Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008
Updated by: Dawne Howard Lucas, January 2022
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
SUBCOLLECTION 1. CABLE TELEVISION
In 1982, the 15-year agreement between the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Cablevision of Raleigh, Inc., to install and operate a cable television system in that city was scheduled to expire. Anticipating this, the city council began studying the cable television industry to identify cable system options for the area.
Fuqua Associates, a cable television engineering firm, was commissioned to report on the cable system then in use and to make suggestions about a future system. Joseph M. Martin, Jr., and Alan Land Julich of Spectrum Communications, Inc., were hired to serve as consultants. Information from metropolitan areas across the country was compiled. The Raleigh Cablevision Steering Committee was established to assist the Law and Finance Committee of the city council in determining and codifying the city's cable access needs.
The franchise competition between Cablevision of Raleigh and Future Cable Communications of Raleigh, Inc., erupted into controversy when the question arose of whether or not the city council had the right to award an exclusive cable contract to one company. A heated discussion of the issue was carried on both in the press and in the city council.
SUBCOLLECTION 2. LOW-POWER TELEVISION
Low-power television involves transmitting signals at powers up to 100 watts VHF or 1000 UHF. The low power of these signals limits the reception area to an average of 10 to 15 miles from the transmitter, as opposed to 40 to 60 miles for conventionally transmitted signals.
Because equipment requirements are significantly less than in conventional stations, low-power television was envisioned as a relatively inexpensive way of getting low-cost, community-based television stations or networks of such stations on the air.
Back to TopThese papers were collected by Joseph M. Martin, Jr., of Spectrum Communications, Inc. As they treat two distinct subjects, they have been divided into two subcollections, one relating to cable television and the other to low-power television.
The cable television papers reflect the activity of Martin and his company as consultants to the Raleigh City Council on the cable television issue. Included are subject files, information on cable systems outside Raleigh, and volumes, all relating to the Raleigh cable television study and controversy; and printed matter on the general subject of cable television.
The low-power television papers consist of photocopies of applications to the Federal Communications Commission from groups wishing to establish low-power stations in North Carolina, and printed matter on the general subject of low-power television.
Back to TopArrangement: alphabetical by file title assigned by Martin.
Correspondence, printed matter, and volumes relating to the study of cable television options for the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, and to the controversy over exclusive cable rights.
Volume 1-3
Volume 1Volume 2Volume 3 |
American Television and Communications Corporation, 1982-1983 |
Volume 4-11
Volume 4Volume 5Volume 6Volume 7Volume 8Volume 9Volume 10Volume 11 |
Cablevision of Raleigh, 1982-1983 |
Volume 12-13
Volume 12Volume 13 |
Fuqua Associates, 1982 |
Volume 14-15
Volume 14Volume 15 |
Future Cable Communications of Raleigh, Inc., 1983 |
Volume 16-24
Volume 16Volume 17Volume 18Volume 19Volume 20Volume 21Volume 22Volume 23Volume 24 |
Spectrum Communications, 1982-1983 |
Folder 121-129
Folder 121Folder 122Folder 123Folder 124Folder 125Folder 126Folder 127Folder 128Folder 129 |
General printed matter, 1981-1983 |
Arrangement: alphabetical by location.
Photocopies of applications to the Federal Communications Commission from groups wishing to establish low-power stations or networks of stations in North Carolina.
Folder 130-131
Folder 130Folder 131 |
Asheville |
Folder 132 |
Bat Cave |
Folder 133 |
Benson |
Folder 134 |
Burlington |
Folder 135-141
Folder 135Folder 136Folder 137Folder 138Folder 139Folder 140Folder 141 |
Charlotte |
Folder 142 |
Coastal |
Folder 143-146
Folder 143Folder 144Folder 145Folder 146 |
Durham |
Folder 147 |
East Fayetteville |
Folder 148 |
Farmville |
Folder 149-151
Folder 149Folder 150Folder 151 |
Fayetteville |
Folder 152-153
Folder 152Folder 153 |
Gastonia |
Folder 154-159
Folder 154Folder 155Folder 156Folder 157Folder 158Folder 159 |
Greensboro |
Folder 160-163
Folder 160Folder 161Folder 162Folder 163 |
Greenville |
Folder 164 |
Guilford |
Folder 165 |
Hickory |
Folder 166-167
Folder 166Folder 167 |
High Point |
Folder 168 |
Jacksonville |
Folder 169-170
Folder 169Folder 170 |
Kinston |
Folder 171 |
Raleigh |
Folder 172 |
Rocky Mount |
Folder 173 |
Williamston |
Folder 174-176
Folder 174Folder 175Folder 176 |
Wilmington |
Folder 177-182
Folder 177Folder 178Folder 179Folder 180Folder 181Folder 182 |
Winston-Salem |
Folder 183-192
Folder 183Folder 184Folder 185Folder 186Folder 187Folder 188Folder 189Folder 190Folder 191Folder 192 |
General printed matter, 1981 |