George J. Barco was an attorney for the cable television industry and an advocate of cable's right to operate and develop free of telephone, broadcast and copyright owner domination. In 1950 he and his daughter Yolanda G. Barco started the law firm of Barco and Barco. He served as general counsel for the Pennsylvania Cable Television Association (PCTA); he handled the Federal Excise Tax case, which ruled that federal excise taxes on cable television income were no longer allowable. In 1953 he founded Meadville Master Antenna (MMA), a cable television system that was the first to install aluminum-sheathed coaxial cable. He negotiated with telephone and utility companies for space to run cable wiring on telephone poles; he played a key role in the 1968 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that cable operators were not liable for copyright payments. Barco also served in many capacities for the National Cable Television Association from 1954-1966.
From the description of George J. Barco papers 1953-1988. (Cable Center, The). WorldCat record id: 48515100
