That wasn't always a problem in America because we didn't always have 200 channels.

這在美國並不總是個問題，因為我們並不總是有 200 個頻道。

Everything changed.

一切都變了。

When cable was born back in the 19 forties, broadcast television was transforming the country TV signal was transmitted from local towers to rapid ear antenna.

有線電視誕生於 19 世紀 40 年代，當時廣播電視正在改變整個國家，電視信號從當地的信號塔傳輸到快速的耳機天線。

But reception was a hit or miss, not everyone could get a signal.

但接收信號時好時壞，不是每個人都能收到信號。

So a few enterprising Americans found a workaround.

於是，一些有進取心的美國人找到了一種變通辦法。

One of them being John Wilson, a TV salesman in rural Pennsylvania Wilson put an antenna on a hilltop and ran a wire down to his TV store.

約翰-威爾遜就是其中之一，他是賓夕法尼亞州農村地區的一名電視機銷售員，威爾遜在山頂上架設了一根天線，並將電線一直延伸到他的電視機商店。

The idea of cable was born by 1952.

有線電視的概念誕生於 1952 年。

These community antennas serviced 14,000 cable subscribers in 70 different places nationwide.

這些社區天線為全國 70 個不同地方的 14,000 個有線電視用戶提供服務。

And unlike local broadcasters, antenna operators could pick up signals from far away, allowing cable customers to access new content.

與在地廣播公司不同的是，天線運營商可以接收來自遠方的信號，使有線電視用戶可以訪問新的內容。

In 1972 Charles Dolan launched home box office or HBO.

1972 年，查爾斯-多蘭推出了家庭票房或 HBO。

Four years later in 1976 Ted Turner founded what would become T BS and later created CNN.

四年後的 1976 年，特德-特納成立了後來的 T BS，並創建了 CNN。

The cable industry gave rise to new titans who took advantage of satellite technology to reach larger audiences.

有線電視行業出現了新的巨頭，他們利用衛星技術向更多的閱聽人提供服務。

By the 19 nineties, cable took off and there were millions of subscribers to dozens of cable companies across the country.

到了 90 年代中期，有線電視開始興起，全國數十家有線電視公司擁有數百萬用戶。

Cable reached millions of American households for decades and then the internet arrived first.

數十年來，有線電視覆蓋了美國的千家萬戶，隨後互聯網先行到來。

It was just dial up.

只是撥號上網。

Like your old AOL free trial C DS.

就像以前的 AOL 免費試用版 C DS。

You remember those service traveled over old copper phone lines owned by phone companies.

您還記得那些通過電話公司擁有的老式銅質電話線傳輸的服務嗎？

Cable providers quickly realized that the fat wires they had built to transmit hundreds of TV channels could also be used to provide internet service.

有線電視供應商很快意識到，他們為傳輸數百個電視頻道而鋪設的粗大電線也可以用來提供互聯網服務。

So they started selling high speed internet with their cable bundles suddenly illegally downloading that red hot chili peppers album on Napster got a whole lot faster but stringing every household in America with cable wire is expensive.

於是，他們開始將高速網絡與有線電視捆綁銷售，突然間，在 Napster 上非法下載紅辣椒專輯的速度快了很多，但用有線電視線串聯美國的每家每戶卻很昂貴。

Cable companies effectively divided up the country rather than compete directly against each other content providers then created more and more channels.

有線電視公司實際上是將全國分割開來，而不是直接相互競爭，內容提供商隨後創建了越來越多的頻道。

Cable operators paid to carry them and passed on fees to consumers.

有線電視運營商付費播放這些節目，並將費用轉嫁給消費者。

This left Americans with high bills and confusing bundle options.

這讓美國人面臨高額賬單和混亂的捆綁選擇。

Today, millennials especially have cut their cable subscriptions and flocked to streaming services like Hulu and Netflix, which are more affordable and you know, supply endless content to meet the binge watching demand.

如今，千禧一代尤其削減了有線電視套餐，轉而使用 Hulu 和 Netflix 等流媒體服務，因為這些服務更實惠，而且還能提供無窮無盡的內容，滿足狂歡式觀看的需求。

The shift has had profound effects.

這種轉變產生了深遠的影響。

Media companies like Disney and Viacom relied on money from cable bundles for decades.

迪斯尼和維亞康姆等媒體公司幾十年來一直依賴於有線電視捆綁套餐的收入。

Now they're struggling to transform in the new world for Disney.

現在，他們正在迪斯尼的新世界中努力轉型。

That means buying a huge chunk of 21st century Fox.

這意味著收購 21 世紀福克斯公司的一大塊股份。

A deal that will increase its suite of TV shows and movies.

這筆交易將增加其電視節目和電影的數量。

Meanwhile, cable companies are relying on selling internet service and looking to also expand into the cell phone industry.

與此同時，有線電視公司依靠銷售互聯網服務，並尋求向手機行業擴張。

She's got no wi fi.

她沒有無線網絡。

So how these companies regulators and consumers navigate this new world of options will determine the future of cable stay tuned.

是以，這些公司的監管者和消費者如何駕馭這一新的選擇世界，將決定有線電視的未來，敬請期待。