By John D. Fannetti and Jack Reed, City of Syracuse
The City of Syracuse, by reason of its recent decision in favor of a sophisticated two-way cable system with the capability of delivering both entertainment and services to its subscribers, has become at once a testing ground for the application of this totally new concept to the major urban market.
All indications are that the future growth and, perhaps the very survival, of the cable industry will rely heavily on its willingness to accept the challenge to be responsive to the ever-increasing needs of the subscriber, particularly the urban dweller. The cities of the nation, by the very nature of their populous composition, are the obvious choice for a two-way telecommunication system capable of fulfilling these needs, while at the same time providing .the cable operator a good rate of return on his investment.
While the earlier consensus was that cost would be a prohibitive factor in considering the delivery of services, even should the idea prove technically feasible, there has been a reversal on this theory. The idea has proven technically feasible, and marketing~rveys have indicated that the cost factor will be a positive rather than a negative consideration, even with a conservative rate of penetration. This means that the provision of extensive services to the urban subscriber need not -- in fact, will not -- diminish the market's attractive financial outlook, but will, rather, enhance it, thus making the major urban market an attractive one, indeed, to an increasing number of cable operators.