In the late 1960s, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) placed regulations on the expansion of cable television in major markets, restricting the use of distant signals to limit competition against the broadcast industry. According to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), this "freeze" on cable development carried over into the early 1970s, making it difficult for cable operators to offer sporting events, movies and syndicated programs.
The freeze on cable ended in 1972, when a policy of cable deregulation was instituted. Deregulation did not come fast enough, though, and the restrictions on cable left the industry with low funds. According to the NCTA, efforts at the local, state and federal levels were able to hasten deregulation, which, along with the introduction of new satellite technologies, got cable television back on its feet.
In 1972, Charles Dolan and Gerald Levin of Sterling Manhattan Cable introduced Home Box Office (HBO) to cable television. HBO was the first "pay TV" network.
Thanks to deregulation, new satellite technologies, and the launch of HBO, nearly 16 million households were cable subscribers at the end of the decade, compared to just 850,000 in 1962, according to the NCTA.