Blue Ridge Communications can trace its origins to an idea by the late Claude E. Reinhard, who embarked on a course of progress carried forward today by sons Donald and Fred.

An engineer for New Jersey Zinc Company, Reinhard wanted to improve television reception for those living in the shadow of the Blue Mountain.

In 1950, he founded Palmerton TV Signal Corporation, erecting an antenna atop the mountain and, after obtaining proper permits, installing a coaxial cable.

The company then ran a pole line to Sokol Hall, unveiling the region's first public viewing of a clear, visible TV signal for Philadelphia area channels 3, 6 and 10. More channels were added later.

Expansion came fast. In 1955, the corporation bought Palmerton Telephone Company from PPL, and in 1956, purchased Blue Ridge Telephone Company, serving the Kunkletown area.  

In 1964, the company entered into the publishing field with Cablegrams, or what was intended to be a TV guide for Blue Ridge Cable subscribers.

Ever the visionary, Reinhard wanted to maximize the potential of print capabilities and eventually bought several local newspapers, among them The Mauch Chunk Times News, Lansford Evening Record and the Tamaqua Evening Courier, leading to today's Times News.  

The company adopted its present name, PENCOR Services Inc in 1965.  PENCOR is an acronym for Pennsylvania ENtertainment COmmunications and Recreation.

In 1971, Pencor Services Inc. changed the name of the cable TV division to Blue Ridge Cable Television Inc. to reflect expanding service territory, including the Poconos and Panther Valley areas.

In 1999, Blue Ridge Cable Technologies changed its name to Blue Ridge Communications.  

Today, Blue Ridge serves more than 170,000 homes.

Photo:  Claude Reinhard 

(appropriate here would be a portrait of Claude Reinhard. I don't have one but I believe one hangs in the lobby at Mahoning Valley if there isn't one already on file. One note of caution: Please be sure it's CLAUDE and not Fred or Don)