Cable Pioneer, Faculty Member Dies at 95

Former College of Communications faculty member and television pioneer E. Stratford "Strat" Smith -- the man whose legal advice and approach opened the door for the growth of cable television across the country -- died Dec. 25, 2011. He was 95.

Smith, who worked for the Federal Communications Commission, served in the Navy and started his own law firm, was perhaps best known for a 1968 Supreme Court case, "Fortnightly Corp. v. United Artists Television." Led by Smith, the "master antenna" argument was that the typical cable television setup for communities -- with one master receiver sharing the signal by cable to many subscribers -- did not violate the copyright of those who had created the content.

"Without that ruling, cable night not have gotten off the ground, or might be very different than it is today," said Matt Jackson, an associate professor and head of the Department of Telecommunications at Penn State. "Cable TV started in rural areas, many in Pennsylvania, where people could not pick up good TV reception because they were living in a valley. People were literally sticking a TV antenna on top of a mountain, then running a wire down to the valley to hook up all the houses in the community."

Smith was Born in Brigham City, Utah, and grew up in Utah and Idaho. He studied electrical engineering at the University of Utah before entering law school. In 1941, he transferred to George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

An April 1998 article in Cablevision magazine about the case said: "Fortnightly stands as nothing less than a landmark decision. It paved the way for [cable] industry development and preserved a climate for entrepreneurial adventure and opportunity.

Smith helped found the National Cable Television Center and Museum at Penn State. In 1988, he became the inaugural holder of the Pioneers Chair in Cable Telecommunications, a position he held until his retirement in 2011. In 1999, Smith, along with Ted Turner and John Malone, founder of media giant Tele-Communications Inc., were among the first 10 people named to the Cable Hall of Fame.

Donation's in Smith's honor and memory may be made to: the Resurrection Orthodox Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 5173, Bellefonte, PA 16823; Centre LifeLink EMS, P.O. Box 272, State College, PA 16804; Mount Nittany Medical Center, 1800 E. Park Ave., State College, PA 16803; or the College of Communications, 100 Old Main, University Park, PA 16801.