Copyright 2008 ©All Rights Reserved.

Comcast Channel 71

Verizon Fios Channel 12

October 2008 marks 22 years of operation for the Laurel Cable Network Foundation Inc. as a non-profit corporation in the state of Maryland, and 23 years as a communication outlet for the City of Laurel.

As we look back, in our crystal ball, some 23 years ago we see a pioneer of this relatively new venture called "Cable TV Public Access". We find him in the back of the basement of the Barkley Municipal Building in front of a strange looking cupboard. He's opening the cupboard door and what have we here, a forest of coaxial cables and a strange looking box hanging sideways on two small angle brackets with a silk-screened label that reads "Scientific Atlanta Cable TV Modulator". It looks like there's also some primitive masking tape labels on the box marked "Video In" and "Audio In". Our pioneer apparently knows what they mean, because he's taking some wires that are attached to his "Beta" format recorder/player and wiring them to the strange looking box. Now he's crouched down over his personal "Beta" format video tape recorder/player, preparing for his first presentation of "Monday Night Home Town Home Movies".

He appears to be a jolly soul with a beard and ... you know he looks a lot like the guy you see driving around the City, doing Code Enforcement...... Yes I'm referring to Pat Walsh and you thought his only claim to fame was plugging in a cable from a TV camera to a wire in the floor at the old council chamber for the first live program on Channel 10-B.

Well, three years later Jerry Moran was invited by former Mayor Duniho to be part of a formation committee, selected to form, what is now known as The Laurel Cable Network Foundation, Inc. A name suggested by none other than our pioneer, Pat Walsh.

Through the combined efforts of Mr. Jim Maher, the City Solicitor, and Mr. Michael Walls the corporation was officially incorporated in 1986.

The Laurel Cable Network has been given new channel allocations and now resides on Channel 71 on Comcast and Channel 12 on Verizon Fios.

and what have we here, a forest of coaxial cables and a strange looking box hanging sideways on two small angle brackets with a silk-screened label that reads "Scientific Atlanta Cable TV Modulator". It looks like there's also some primitive masking tape labels on the box marked "Video In" and "Audio In". Our pioneer apparently knows what they mean, because he's taking some wires that are attached to his "Beta" format recorder/player and wiring them to the strange looking box. Now he's crouched down over his personal "Beta" format video tape recorder/player, preparing for his first presentation of "Monday Night Home Town Home Movies".

He appears to be a jolly soul with a beard and ... you know he looks a lot like the guy you see driving around the City, doing Code Enforcement...... Yes I'm referring to Pat Walsh and you thought his only claim to fame was plugging in a cable from a TV camera to a wire in the floor at the old council chamber for the first live program on Channel 10-B.

Well, three years later Jerry Moran was invited by former Mayor Duniho to be part of a formation committee, selected to form, what is now known as The Laurel Cable Network Foundation, Inc. A name suggested by none other than our pioneer, Pat Walsh.

Through the combined efforts of Mr. Jim Maher, the City Solicitor, and Mr. Michael Walls the corporation was officially incorporated in 1986.

The Laurel Cable Network has been given new channel allocations and now resides on Channel 71 on Comcast and Channel 12 on Verizon Fios.