Bell Cablemedia
 

Some people may remember Bell Cablemedia, one of the early cable companies that became part of Cable & Wireless ConsumerCo which became part of ntl.

I remember them well in Leeds.

They ceased to exist...ooh 1997 I think.

Which makes it all the more odd that THIS web page still exists.

Do you think someone has simply forgotten it's there?

It's like a trip down memory lane! Those were the days, etc.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

I tried dialling the number and it's "busy"... weird!

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

The business number directs to C&W!!!

0500 600190

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

I can top that - I worked for BCM (implementing and supporting Billing systems), and also was one of the first employees of BCM's predecessor, Jones Cable (Leeds & Watford).

I started at the (now NTL) Seacroft office in January 1994. We used to have a joke - if you had only ever sat at one desk, but worked for 5 different companies, you must be in the Cable industry.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

You know a cableco's advert is old when they have loads of fibres as the pictures, that is so 90s =)

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Yes I rememebr Bell Cablemedia becuase we were one of the first to get it in York in late 1995. I recall it had loads of what were then cable exclusive channels such as SelectTV (which became Carlton Select), Performance and Travel Channel (both now on satellite), The Parliamentary Channel, Mind Extension University (which turned into Jones Computer Network and finally Knowledge TV), HVC, a text-based local information service, and the full 24-hour servicves of Sci-fi, EBN and CMT as these were only on satellite part time. No L!ve TV though. In 1996, new cable-only services Carlton Food, AsiaNet and The Box appeared when CMT and EBN were dropped.

How things have changed in the cable industry in the subsequent decade becuase back then cable had as many subscribers as Sky did.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Really? Because assuming that cable passed 50% of homes, and the same number of homes were interested in pay TV in cabled areas as in non-cabled areas, that would mean nearly 100% penetration in cabled areas.

If the figure was for cabled areas only then that is still roughly the case.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

notice how netcom need a web designer

http://www.netcom.co.uk/news/index.php?story=109

perhaps to update the 10 year old websites ;)

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Cable & Wireless 0500 numbers!

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Umm, what ?

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

That was my initial thought but I guess he's being nostalgic about 0500 numbers being a thing ?? Apparently they lasted until 2017 but I can't ever recall ringing one.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

I dont recall them tbh, I didnt think 05 was used at all these days, but apparently a small part of it is.

055 xxxx xxxx & 056 xxxx xxxx are used for "corporate" numbers and [some] VoIP services.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Yes, being nostalgic.

Wow! You never phoned an 0500 number? Businesses moved in droves from having BT 0800 numbers to having C&W 0500 numbers back when deregulation meant that there was a duopoly instead of a monopoly. 😀

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

York was covered by the franchise covering Leeds, which also covered Harrogate. The franchise was originally Jones TV, which I found out from seeing a video on YouTube about Jones Cable in Leeds. It had become Bell Cablemedia by the time it appeared in York. Not sure about Harrogate.

I also believe that Bell Cablemedia was the result of a merger between more than one cable company/franchise?

[mods, may I suggest that this is moved to Virgin Media TV as it is about a time before the internet became part of the cable offer]

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Jones Cable bought out PacTel (Peterborough & Norwich) to become Bell CableMedia, then a Cable & Wireless subsidiary company bought out/merged BCM, Videotron, & Nynex (and possibly Cable London) to become CWC (Cable & Wireless Comms).

(I worked on the Bytel Billing Systems at Jones Cable Leeds (& Watford) 94-96 (it became BCM in 95), and did billing consultancy at what was EnCom in London Docklands 96-97 (when it all became CWC)).

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

The U.K. had two national telecoms companies. Within the U.K. it was BT, and in the Empire and overseas territories it was Cable & Wireless (after various incarnations).

C&W formed a subsidiary in the U.K. called Mercury Communications and they built a national Core fibre Network. (using white duct instead of grey).

It was Mercury that merged with all the CATV franchises Hugh listed to form CWC.

It’s evolution was broadly similar to NTL, whereas it was NTL that had the National Core Network and that was bought/merged with CableTel, Diamond, Comtel, Comcast, Telecential ( no doubt a few others, to form NTL)

Telewest evolved a bit differently as they never bought a company that had a National backbone.

They built a national backbone for a company called 360 Networks, but they went bust, and Telewest were left with it.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Thank you for the information Hugh.

When Jones Cable began in Leeds, did Jones cover any other areas?

I had always wondered why Jones Computer Network was available on Bell Cablemedia for a while - it was replaced by Knowledge TV - but it now makes sense given that Bell Cablemedia was originally Jones Cable.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

The original Jones Cable franchise were Watford, and Leeds/Harrogate/York.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

I know the roll-out in York began in 1995., when the the roll-out in Leeds and Harrogate begin, and which area of Leeds was the first to get it? I assume it was Seacroift due to the location of Jones' headquarters in Leeds.

Incidentally, after seemingly lying dormant for a whole it became a gym and is now Ninja Warrior UK Adventure (Leeds), and according to Streetview, two of the satellite dishes were still in situ in 2021.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Yes, the Leeds roll-out began early ‘94 (Seacroft, then a reasonably rapid roll-out (I live in Adel, and we got it Third Quarter ‘94), then Harrogate and York in ‘95

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Thank you for the information.

Can you remember if any channels were removed by BCM between when BCM began its Leeds roll-out and by the time BCM came to York in late 1995? The first time I recall any channels being removed was at the start of September 1996 when, among others, BCM removed CMT and EBN.

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Sorry, no, I can’t remember any of those - I was in Billing, not Provision…

Re: Bell Cablemedia
 

Fsir enough.

Jones did carry Wire TV as it was mentioned in the promo, however L!ve TV was not there by the time cable into my life. Can you recall if L!ve TV was ever carried?