Ken Burns and co-directors Sarah Burns and David McMahon have another knockout project on their hands with Muhammad Ali, a four-part, 7 1/2-hour deep dive into the man considered by many the greatest boxer of all time, and one of the most complicated and divisive figures of the 20th Century. 

Making sure that project gets seen by as many people as possible, a key PBS value, while also helping keep PBS going financially, is Andrea Downing’s job. She’s president of PBS Distribution, walking a complex line between those competing priorities and the parent organization’s government mandate to provide access to educational programming. 

PBS Distribution is a separate limited liability corporation owned by PBS and the big Boston station WGBH. Perhaps unexpectedly, it’s also a for-profit company. Downing, who came to PBS 20 years ago from Discovery, has been working in distribution for the organization since the days when DVDs were the main alternative distribution option. Her organization still does a bit of that, as the overall TVOD business remains a sturdy $2 billion market segment.

About a dozen years ago, PBS got into streaming, initially licensing content to Netflix and Amazon, and then rolling out a series of niche VOD services on Amazon Prime’s Video Channels offering.

“And what we really did is, we decided to be very intentional about our strategy, which is to launch specialty or niche channels,” Downing said. “So we started with PBS Kids. And then we launched PBS Masterpiece. We launched PBS Living, and then we launched PBS Documentaries back in August of 2021.”

That niche approach is paired with free online access to some PBS programming through the PBS Video app, which is available on most major streaming platforms from Apple to Vizio. Within the PBS Video app sits Passport, a video service available to local station subscribers who donate at least $60 a year, and get on-demand access to PBS archives, past seasons of current shows, and early premieres. Passport subscribers also get access to all of Burns’ documentaries, more than 30 features and series from Burns and his collaborators.

“It's important that we have content that's available for free, always,” Downing said. “And then Passport becomes the member benefit” for more substantial donors.

That bifurcated approach was necessitated because PBS is trying to preserve its unique relationship with its local stations and their subscribers, while maximizing revenue from other interested viewers who don’t want to subscribe. 

“We thought long and hard about this, and we wanted to ensure that the value proposition for PBS Passport is the strongest proposition,” Downing said. “In that $60 a year, you're a (station) member, you get Passport, which is a broader service, and you have your direct relationship with your local station. So these (Prime)  channels, they're all at different price points. So you, if you have an affinity, you can certainly go there, but we’re very intentional about Passport being the best value proposition for members.”

Downing said she works closely with Ira Rubenstein, PBS’ chief digital and marketing officer, to balance the two sides of the organization’s distribution, while getting maximum reach for its programming beyond the traditional footprint of local broadcast stations and their subscribers. 

“Ira and I are partners in everything that we do,” Downing said. “He is managing distribution for the free-based distribution, and I run the fee-based distribution, so we're very much coordinated. And our goal is to ensure that our distribution is better and broader than that PBS TV ecosystem, which is complex, versus just one or the other.”

The Muhammad Ali documentary is one example of the full-court press that PBS does with major projects. It debuts at 8 pm Sunday on the PBS Documentaries Prime channel, and also will stream for free on PBS.org and the PBS Video app. 

Importantly, Downing said the programming on Prime Channels has been “really great in terms of continuing to grow the company and provide income that goes back into the purchase of more programming and services. We can think differently about content and bringing in more content, more digital short-form content, as well as long-form content.”

This month, the Prime Docs channel also will add biographical projects about Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and actor Raul Julia, several NOVA science documentaries, and Frontline investigations of 9/11 and Boeing jet problems, among others

The two sides of the PBS operation have also experimented with different release patterns, to try to maximize reach and revenue. One example, Downing said, was a British show set in India called Beecham House, which ITV cancelled after one season.

Rather than taking that one season to broadcast first, PBS made it available both through its free online service and Passport, as well as the for-pay Masterpiece channel on Prime in March, 2020. Beecham House didn’t arrive on the broadcast schedule until the following January. 

“So it was a great opportunity to pilot,” Downing said. “And we got great lift and bumps. And then we didn't put it into the broadcast schedule until the following January, where we then got a second bump. So it worked for public television, for the free side as well as the revenue side.” 

Downing also oversees international operations such as a PBS America channel in the United Kingdom and Australia, and PBS Kids branded channels in Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia. For now, however, the company is sticking with the Prime Video Channels approach as a low-cost way to extend its reach and revenues, rather than attempting to add standalone SVOD services on other distribution platforms.

“Like everyone, we're going to continue to evaluate our strategy as the market changes and we're going to adapt as needed,” Downing said. “Right now it works for us, not only because of the managed-service part and taking care of the investment upfront, but it also enables PBS Passport to be on all of these other distribution platforms more prominently. Our goal with these channels is really to support PBS Video, Passport and multiple stations.”

Muhammad Ali, a Ken Burns documentary about the famed fighter, airs on PBS Sept. 19-22. The project began in 2014, said Burns during a Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour session. He mentioned a sign in his editing room that says, “It’s complicated,” and said it applied to his latest project. 

“We’re interested in human beings and their complications,” Burns said. 

Besides boxing, the film touches on civil rights, politics, war, faith and “the definition of Blackness in the country,” said Burns. “What we’re always drawn to are very, very complicated stories.”

Burns’ films include Baseball, The Civil War, The Roosevelts and Country Music. 

He made Muhammad Ali with his daughter, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon. 

Burns promises a “warts and all” project, quoting Ali’s daughter Rasheda, that touches not only Ali’s role as a sports and cultural touchstone, but on his philandering and inconsistent role in his children’s lives. 

Rasheda Ali said her father was “onstage” when he was in the ring. “He pretty much put on a show for all the people who tuned in,” she said, and was “sweet and cuddly” at home. “Daddy was a gentle giant for sure,” she added. 

Burns said that “non-performing Ali is available all the way through” the documentary. 

Asked about criticism that he, as a white man, has such a large role in documenting and sharing American history, Burns said he applauded PBS “for the steps they’ve taken,” in terms of funding diverse filmmaker initiatives and hiring a senior VP focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. He added, “Throughout my professional life I’ve tried to tell the story of this country in an inclusive way.”

Burns noted that 40% of the staff on the Ali project are people of color, and 53% are women. That was also the case 25 years ago, he added. 

"We, of course, encourage others to tell their own stories, and we celebrate that," he said. "But I do not accept that only people of a particular background can tell certain stories about our past, particularly in the United States of America."

PBS will team with producer Ken Burns on a documentary series based on the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali airing in September.

The four-part series, Muhammad Ali, will debut Sept. 19 and will follow the life and times of the three-time heavyweight boxing champion and human rights advocate who is considered one of the most consequential men of the 20th century, said PBS.

Muhammad Ali will look at some of Ali’s legendary fights as well as capture Ali’s principled resistance to the Vietnam War, his steadfast commitment to his Muslim faith, and his complex relationships with Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, who profoundly shaped his life and worldview.

Also Read: PBS Orders 'Sanditon' Seasons Two, Three

Burns, PBS and ESPN’s multimedia platform The Undefeated will explore the intersection of sports, race and culture through a series of conversations leading up to the September broadcast, said PBS.

“Muhammad Ali is a national icon whose life and legacy are woven into the fabric of American history,” said PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming Sylvia Bugg in a statement. “PBS is committed to sharing stories that deepen understanding and reflect a diversity of perspectives, and we’re thrilled to bring this extraordinary biopic to our audiences this fall.”

HBO has released a trailer for its sports documentary series What's My Name: Muhammad Ali, which premieres May 14.

The two-part series -- the first feature-length HBO production from LeBron James'  SpringHill Entertainment, and directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) -- explores the former heavyweight boxing champion's challenges, confrontations, comebacks and triumphs through recordings of his own voice, according to HBO.

James, Fuqua and Maverick Carter serve as executive producers on the project along with Paul Wachter, Bill Gerber, Jamie Salter and Glen Zipper, said HBO.

Robert Rosencrans, founder of UA-Columbia Cable and one of the pioneers in cable programming through the creation of the Madison Square Garden Network, later renamed USA Network, and one of the driving forces behind the creation of C-SPAN, died in Greenwich, Conn., earlier this week. He was 89 years old.

According to the Cable Center, Rosencrans first came on the cable scene in 1953, producing and distributing live television events to theaters and hotels through Box Office Television and later TelePrompTer Corp. In 1956, while planning the distribution of a heavyweight championship fight, Rosencrans granted a license to Bill Daniels to offer the fight to his cable customers in Casper, Wyo.,  a first for the cable business and the beginning of a collaboration that led to TelePrompTer purchasing several cable systems.

Rosencrans formed Columbia Cable Systems in 1961, acquiring systems in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and California, eventually growing it to more than 250,000 customers.

Columbia Cable was the first operator to install a satellite Earth Station to receive the feed of the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier heavyweight championship fight from Manila in 1975.

Two years later in 1977 Columbia set off on a venture to offer satellite delivered cable programming to the industry, joining with Madison Square Garden  to distribute its live events. The Madison Square Garden Network, later renamed the USA Network, was the first proprietary satellite basic cable network, according to the Cable Center.

MSG Network was one of the first channels to carry a fledging public service network, the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN), which broadcast live coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives. Rosencrans became the founding chairman of C-SPAN and an integral force in the network’s development.

Rosencrans wrote one of the first checks – for $25,000 – in support of C-SPAN, and convinced other cable operators to do the same. According to C-SPAN, Rosencrans helped C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb raise $450,000 in seed money which was used to create the infrastructure to send out the first live views of the U.S. House of Representatives on March 19, 1979 to 3.5 million homes served by 350 cable systems.

"I've never met a person who didn't respect Bob Rosencrans,” Lamb said in a statement. “He was not only interested in being a successful business person, but he was very interested in civic responsibility; he was conscious of the need to help others. Bob helped me tremendously by explaining to a start-up cable industry that it made sense for a network like C-SPAN to have a place.  He never wanted any personal credit for it, but if it hadn't been for Bob Rosencrans, there probably wouldn't be a C-SPAN. Bob was a tremendous human being."

Rosencrans sold Columbia Cable and its  500,000 customers to UA Theaters and Rogers Cable in 1984 and later that year he founded Columbia International, developing systems in Virginia, Michigan, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. Columbia International  was sold to Tele-Communications Inc., Cox and Jones Intercable in 1996. Rosencrans remained active with C-SPAN, serving as chairman emeritus and was elected to the Cable Hall of Fame in 1999.  

In a statement, the National Cable Telecommunications Association shared in C-SPAN's loss, adding that Rosencrans was a major architect in what became the modern cable industry. 

"Bob embodied the cable entrepreneur, investing time, money and sweat equity in the creation of products and services that have become vital to consumers," NCTA said in a statement. "His work with Brian Lamb and other colleagues, to create, build, and launch C-SPAN, was perhaps his most resonant and impactful achievement. He also, however, was a catalyst in creating first-generation cable content, in sports, general entertainment, premium entertainment, and information. And he built and managed many early cable systems that became precursors to today’s life-changing television and Internet infrastructure.  A major supporter of NCTA and our industry’s business and policy objectives, Bob Rosencrans epitomized the entrepreneurial spirit that forged our industry and helped change the way that Americans connect, communicate, learn, and are entertained.  We are indebted to his life’s work, and we offer sincere condolences to his family and friends."    

The Rosencrans family will hold private services this weekend with plans to hold a memorial service at a later date this fall.  

Extensive coverage of Muhammad Ali's funeral services and memorial today (June 10) in his hometown of Louisville, Ky., is planned on ESPN, TV One and Bounce TV, the networks have said.

With at least nine-and-a-half hours of live presence and coverage of Friday’s day of remembrance for Muhammad Ali, SportsCenter on ESPN (streaming live on WatchESPN) will serve viewers wanting to see the planned 19-mile procession and the ensuing memorial service. The former Olympic gold medalist, three-time heavyweight boxing world champion and cultural icon died one week ago at age 74 and programmers have poured out remembrances. 

Beginning with SportsCenter:AM at 7 a.m. ET and continuing through the service’s completion, viewers will get comprehensive access to the day’s events, anchored in Louisville by Hannah Storm and Jeremy Schaap outside the KFC Yum! Center, where the memorial service will be held.

TV One is pre-empting its regularly scheduled programming to broadcast live the memorial service. Beginning at 2 p.m. ET, Roland S. Martin, host of TV One's News One Now, will report from the show's Washington, D.C., studios. In addition, TV One will continue to celebrate the life of "The Greatest of All Time" with a special encore presentation of the one-hour documentary Muhammad Ali: Fighting Spirit,  airing at 7 p.m. ET. Martin and guest panelists will also share commentary during the entire public service at the KFC Yum! Center.

Bounce TV said its coverage will start at 9 a.m. with the funeral procession through the streets of Louisville and will carry through his memorial service, aired live, uninterrupted and commercial-free. The memorial service, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, is to include eulogies by Bill Clinton, Bryant Gumbel and Billy Crystal. Between the procession and the service, Bounce TV will present 1977 biopic The Greatest (starring Ali as himself) along with several special tributes throughout the telecast of Premier Boxing Champions on Sunday night, June 12, starting at 9 p.m. ET. Bounce TV's coverage is in partnership with its Louisville affiliate, Raycom Media-owned WAVE-TV.

BET and Centric will air the memorial sesrvice commercial free as part of its news special, BET Remembers Muhammad Ali: The Memorial Service beginning at 2 p.m. BET Networks will also broadcast and encore airing of BET News' The Truth Series documentary Muhammad Ali: The People's Champ at 1 p.m. 

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who died at age 74 on June 3, continues to be honored with special programming, including by HBO, Smithsonian Channel and Sony Movie Channel, and with plans for coverage of his memorial service in Louisville, Ky., on Friday (June 10) on several outlets.

HBO has scheduled encore plays of the HBO Films drama Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight, which will air on the main HBO channel tonight (June 8) at 9 p.m. ET/PT and Friday, June 10, at 8 p.m. Debuting on HBO in 2013, Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight goes behind the closed doors of the U.S. Supreme Court as the nine judges decide the outcome of Muhammad Ali’s landmark 1971 case for being a conscientious objector.

HBO  on June 14 will air a special edition of its series The Fight Game With Jim Lampley in tribute to Ali. 

El Rey Network tonight (June 8) beginning at 10 p.m. ET will air a marathon of all 13 half-hour episodes of the 1977 animated series I Am the Greatest:  The Adventures of Muhammad Ali, which aired on Saturday mornings on NBC in 1977 with voices provided by Ali and his real life publicist Frank Bannister. The series featured The Champ and Bannister travelling around the country fighting crime and solving mysteries – both real and supernatural.

Smithsonian Channel will honor the boxing legend's life and legacy by airing Lives That Changed the World: Muhammad Ali and Sports Detectives: Ali’s Gold Medal throughout this week, starting Thursday night with the LivesThat Changed The World episode at 8 p.m. ET/PT. (It also airs Friday, June 10, at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET/PT; Saturday, June 11, at 3 p.m. ET/PT; and Sunday, June 12, at 5 p.m. ET/PT). Ali in his biography says that after he was refused service in a Louisville diner he tossed his gold medal from the 1960 Rome Olympics into the Ohio River, making it an enduring symbol of his struggle for civil rights. The Sports Detectives episode explores whether or not the story was true, or simply part of the legend of Muhammad Ali. It airs Friday, June 10, at 4 p.m. ET/PT, 6 p.m. ET/PT and 10 p.m. ET/PT on the channel.

Thursday night (June 9), Spike will air a 10th-anniversary special of its Guys Choice awards at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The special was taped on Saturday, June 4, and in the wake of Friday's somber news of Ali's passing, John Legend paid special tribute to "The Greatest," followed by a performance of "The Greatest Love of All," with Andra Day (here is a video link). Legend said, “The Champ was the towering figure of our times – in the boxing ring and beyond. He was a freedom fighter who used his fists and his wits, his force and his faith to make our world a better and more just place," Spike relayed. Supermodel Gigi Hadid, who took home the honor of Our New Girlfriend, took a moment (video link) to remember Ali during her acceptance speech as well, by saying “Muhammad Ali has touched me so much in my life, I’m so grateful to have met him, so I wanted to openly say rest in peace Muhammad -- you're the champ!” 

Sony Movie Channel has scheduled a special presentation of the 1977 biopic The Greatest, based on Ali’s autobiography The Greatest: My Own Story, for Sunday, June 12, at 7 p.m. ET and 8:45 p.m. ET, with replays on Sunday, June 19, at 12:10 p.m. ET and Saturday, June 25, at 1:25 p.m. ET. It stars Ali as himself, in his feature film debut, and details some of the most defining moments in his life, from his gold medal Olympic performance at the age of 18, to his quest for the heavyweight championship under the tutelage of trainer Angelo Dundee (portrayed by Ernest Borgnine), as well as his victory over Joe Frazier in the fabled “Thrilla In Manila;" his conversion to Islam; and his three-and-a-half year court battle to retain the title that was stripped from him, after he refused to serve in the army on the grounds that it violated his religious beliefs. “This special tribute is the perfect way for fans to remember one of the most celebrated, controversial, and influential sports figures of all-time,” Jeff Meier, SVP of Programming, Sony Movie Channel, said in a release. “Muhammad Ali truly changed the face of boxing forever, and left an indelible mark on society as an athlete, actor, activist, and champion. SMC is proud to be able to honor this great man with this unforgettable film.”

TV One, ESPN, Bounce TV and BET, among others, are planning coverage of Ali memorials on Friday. TV One is pre-empting its regularly scheduled programming to broadcast the service live beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Roland Martin will report from the network’s Washington, D.C., studios and TV One will air a special encore presentation of the one-hour documentary, Muhammad Ali: Fighting Spirit, at 7 p.m. ET. "Muhammad Ali was an iconic figure who was an unapologetic Black man and a world figure. We are proud to continue our weeklong coverage since his death by carrying his funeral live on TV One,” Martin said in a release. "In the past, TV One has broken into coverage to carry the funerals of Coretta Scott King, Dr. Dorothy Height and the memorial service for the Charleston 9. We believe the homecoming service of ‘The Greatest’ is deserving of such an honor."

Bounce TV said its coverage Friday will start at 9 a.m. with the funeral procession through the streets of Louisville and will carry through his memorial service, aired live, uninterrupted and commercial-free. The memorial service, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, is to include eulogies by Bill Clinton, Bryant Gumbel and Billy Crystal. Between the procession and the service, Bounce TV will present The Greatest along with several special tributes throughout the telecast of Premier Boxing Champions on Sunday night, June 12, starting at 9 p.m. ET. Bounce TV is partnering with its Louisville affiliate, Raycom Media-owned WAVE-TV, for WAVE’s local hometown coverage and insight.

BET and Centric will air the memorial sesrvice commercial free as part of its news special, BET Remembers Muhammad Ali: The Memorial Service beginning at 2 p.m. BET Networks will also broadcast and encore airing of BET News' The Truth Series documentary Muhammad Ali: The People's Champ at 1 p.m. 

ESPN continues its extensive coverage of Ali's passing with live coverage of Muhammad Ali’s memorial service from Louisville, beginning at 2 p.m., with more coverage plans slated to be announced Thursday. ESPN moved the opening match for the UEFA European Football Championship 2016 – France vs. Romania on Friday, June 10, kicking off at 3 p.m. ET after a one-hour pre-game show – to ESPN2 from ESPN to accommodate coverage of the Ali services. 

Boxing icon and humanitarian Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74. 

Ali, who had battled Parkinson's disease for decades, passed away Friday after being hospitalized in the Phoenix area earlier this week with respiratory issues, according to the Associated Press. During a legendary pro boxing career, Ali -- considered by many boxing observers as the greatest boxer of all time -- won the heavyweight boxing title three times and fought a number of iconic fights throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Ali retired from boxing in 1981 but remained one of the most popular and well-known athletes in the world. 

Ali, whose conversion to Islam and his opposition to the Vietnam War and the military draft during the 1960s drew criticism and condemnation from many circles, was revered later in life for advocating peace and equal rights for all. 

Several cable networks released statements early Saturday morning reacting to the death of Ali. 

ESPN president John Skipper reflected on Ali's passing, saying: “We are sad to hear of the passing of Muhammad Ali. However, we revel in the memory of his athletic excellence in the ring, we recollect with pleasure the charm of the charismatic young man from Louisville who would shock the world and we celebrate the dramatic achievement of a champion of civil rights who changed the world. In many ways, he was truly the greatest of all time.”

HBO in a statement said: "We join the rest of the world in mourning the passing of Muhammad Ali and celebrating the legacy of this unique man in unifying us through his acts and gifts. Ali's charisma, grace, and genius transcended all races, religions, nationalities, and generations. His spirit will inspire people forever. HBO is honored to have known Muhammad Ali as a fighter of beauty and a man of principle. We experienced the joy of working with him in support of initiatives he passionately cared about including, most importantly, his never-ending desire to teach tolerance and understanding of others to all people. Muhammad Ali was an icon and hero, father and friend, and beacon of hope for oppressed people throughout the world. He will be missed by all of those whose lives he touched. There are not enough bells to toll this loss."

Showtime also released the following statement: "Muhammad Ali was The Greatest of all time.  Perhaps the greatest in any sport.  The outpouring of emotion currently taking place around the world is a testament to his impact beyond boxing and beyond sports.On behalf of everyone at Showtime Networks, and our extended boxing family, we offer our condolences to the Ali family and to the millions of people the world over that were inspired by his grace, poise and prowess in life."

Boxing promoter Bob Arum, who promoted numerous Ali fights, said in a statement: "A true great has left us. Muhammad Ali transformed this country and impacted the world with his spirit.  His legacy will be part of our history for all time." 

Don King, who also promoted several Ali fights, including his memorable 1974 bout against George Foreman, told the Associated Press: "It's a sad day for life, man. I loved Muhammad Ali, he was my friend. Ali will never die. Like Martin Luther King his spirit will live on, he stood for the world." 

Retired, undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather told ESPN early Saturday that Ali was a "hero" and paved the way for fighters like himself to be successful. Recently retired boxing champion Manny Pacquiao also said in a statement: "We lost a giant today ... boxing benefitted from Muhammad Ali's talents but not nearly as much as mankind benefitted from his humanity.  Our hearts and prayers go out to the Ali family.  May God bless them."  

Forty years ago, a group of industry pioneers gathered in Vero Beach, Fla., to take part in cable programming’s version of Kitty Hawk.

It was Sept. 30, 1975, and the industry leaders, flanked by a 10-meter satellite dish and nattily dressed in 1970sstyle suits, oversaw the live satellite telecast of the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier “Thrilla in Manila” boxing match on HBO. The launch of HBO on satellite is regarded as the birth of the modern cable industry.

“It was a tremendous surge of pride in the industry to be able to bring that into homes,” Jerry Levin, then president of HBO, said in an interview.

“It’s a reminder that a band of relatively small entrepreneurs were able to change the face of American video,” Levin said. “Going up on the satellite was really the impetus for all the programming we see today.”

In addition to boosting the fortunes of HBO, the next five years saw the satellite launch of major cable network brands, including CNN, TBS, ESPN, MTV, BET, Nickelodeon, Showtime, USA Network, WGN, Bravo, CBN (now ABC Family) and C-SPAN.

Satellite pioneer Sid Topol, who supplied dishes for the HBO telecast while chairman and CEO of Scientific-Atlanta, recalled in an interview: “It was a money maker for everyone from day one, including me. I couldn’t build earth stations fast enough.

“HBO took off, and the cable systems became viable and could franchise in the big cities. Before that, it didn’t work,” he said.

Before satellite delivery, cable programming had to be delivered to systems by terrestrial microwave technology or by “bicycling” videotape — that is, delivering it by hand. Reaching a mass audience was nearly impossible.

In 1972, Levin worked with Chuck Dolan at Sterling Manhattan Cable to develop a pay TV service that he named Home Box Office. Time Inc. took full ownership of HBO, but soon threatened to shut down the unprofitable enterprise, according to Levin, who tried anything to increase subscribers, including giving away free turkeys.

Meanwhile, Topol, who had experience with international satellites, promoted domestic satellite delivery of programming. Cable operators such as Bob Rosencrans, president of UA-Columbia Cablevision, were looking for more content to make cable more viable with consumers.

During an National Cable Television Association convention in Anaheim, Calif., in 1973, S-A demonstrated satellite capability, including a live broadcast with House Speaker Carl Albert. HBO arranged for a live satellite telecast of a boxing match beamed from Madison Square Garden to the Disneyland Hotel.

But the fight ended with a first-round knockout, so quick that even Levin missed it. The demo was met largely with concern about potential satellite failures and a cost of about $100,000 to install a 10-meter earth station.

Topol said he kept getting asked, “Where are the programs going to come from?”

Nonetheless, Levin remained intrigued and Topol continued to promote satellite’s benefits. The Ali-Frazier fight in Manila — the third of their famous bouts — presented a new opportunity to use satellite distribution for cable.

In those days, boxing made significant money through closed-circuit broadcasts in movie theaters. HBO was allowed to deliver Ali-Frazier via a Westar satellite only to two cable operators: UA-Columbia in Ft Pierce-Vero Beach, Fla., and a Jackson, Miss., system owned by ATC, founded by Monty Rifkin.

First, the systems had to get FCC permission to erect satellite receive-only dishes. Cable had competing interests that could object, including movie studios and broadcasters, but none did. The FCC, however, was concerned about technical interference, according to The Cable Center’s archives.

Transmissions from Manila had to take a series of hops around the world to get to Vero Beach. There, in a Holiday Inn ballroom, Rosencrans flipped a switch to start the telecast of the fight, which Ali won by technical knockout after 14 rounds.

“When you looked at the close-ups, the fighters looked like they were in the next room, the picture quality was that extraordinary,” Rosencrans said in an interview for Columbia University. “We knew we had a winner. We knew this was a big day.”

In December 1975, RCA launched a Satcom satellite bird 23,300 miles into orbit, and HBO leased transponder space. The next year, the FCC approved smaller, more affordable 4.5-meter receive- only dishes for cable systems.

Topol talked to an ambitious Ted Turner, who turned WTBS-TV, a small Atlanta TV station, into the first nationwide superstation in 1976 and launched CNN in 1980. After the first wave of satellite network launches, a second wave from 1980 to 1985 included Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, A&E Network, AMC, HSN, Headline News, Lifetime and The Weather Channel.

“There would be no Golden Age of Programming today if there hadn’t been this proliferation of networks,” said Levin, who served as chairman and CEO of Time Warner, Inc. from 1993 to 2002.

Satellite also produced cable’s biggest competitors through the mid-’90s launch of DirecTV and Dish Network.

Today, Levin, 76, recently founded The Levin Center for Parkinson’s Transformational Health; Topol, 90, is active in political causes in Boston; and Rosencrans, 88, lives in Greenwich, Conn. All are Cable Hall of Fame members.

Craig Leddy is a student of cable history who teaches How Cable Works courses.