Communication Satellites for Public Television

Over the years, broadcasting in the United States, both radio and television, developed chiefly as a privately owned, commercial service. In that same period, however, some commercial television and radio stations emerged to meet various special needs, as for example, the requirements of schools and universities for educational programs. These stations were mainly local, set up by educational and other local public organizations. These groups had a number of common interests which resulted in the setting up of associations or other similar bodies which could act for groups of stations and organize the sharing of programs. The most familiar of these early organizations is probably National Educational Television (NET) which for many years operated a limited television distribution network.