Sad Day for Cable Pubs

By Ron Hendrickson

It's a sad day in the very small world of cable technology publications. We've heard unofficially that Communications Technology is shutting down.

Assuming it's true (we're still trying to get confirmation), this is difficult news. CT was our competitor, but most of us here at BTR worked there in the past, some of us for many years. CT alumni can be found at other cable trade pubs as well, including Multichannel News, Light Reading, CED and others. Back in its heyday, CT was a powerhouse. In June 2000 (BTR Publisher and Founder Tim Hermes and I both worked for CT at the time), we put out a 330-page issue for Cable-Tec Expo, and our average issue size back then was around 200 pages.

A lot of water has run under the bridge in the years since, and the publishing world has changed radically. Paper has largely given way to online publishing. It's cheaper, faster, and better in many ways, but it's also required rethinking of once-sacred concepts and business models, plus some very fast adaptation. And we all know what Charles Darwin said about the ability to adapt.

Still, it's hard to watch the demise of something we put so much time and energy into.

Rest ye well, CT. You will be missed.

Ron Hendrickson is BTR's managing editor. Reach him at [email protected].