 | |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founders | John Donofrio, Hilda Donofrio |
| Headquarters | 57 Everett Street Warren, RI 02885 United States |
| Products | Cable television,Broadband Internet,Digital telephony |
Number of employees | 20+ (2013) |
Full Channel, Inc. was an American pay television and telecommunications provider set in Rhode Island. At the time of its acquisition by CountryWide Broadband it was the third-largest[1] cable television andInternet service provider in the state. Its wired communications network was available to the approximately 50,000 residents of Bristol County, Rhode Island.[2] Full Channel's main office was at 57 Everett Street in Warren, Rhode Island, U.S.[3][4]
In 1965, John Donofrio, a former broadcast engineer and general manager at WPFM (nowWLVO) in Providence and sales executive atCharles River Broadcasting in Boston, founded Full-Channel TV, Inc.[5] upon learning of the potential success ofCommunity Antenna Television. Later that year, Donofrio's company applied for and was awarded the first cable television franchise in Rhode Island after his application was approved by the City ofEast Providence.[6] However, before Full Channel began construction of a system in East Providence, cable television franchising authority was transferred away from local municipalities to theRhode Island Public Utilities Commission. In 1974, Full Channel was among the nine original cable franchises awarded by the PUC and was ultimately assigned to the state's CATV Service Area 5, Bristol County, Rhode Island. It would not be until 1982 that legal wrangling would allow for the original franchisees to begin building their systems.[4]
In 1982, Full Channel hired a workforce, opened a local business office and began building its cable system. In the winter of 1983, the company's first cable television subscriber was connected. The company remained the only cable provider in Bristol County until 2001 whenCox Communications overbuilt Full Channel as part of its bid to service the entire state of Rhode Island.[7]
From Donofrio's death in 2004 until 2018, his daughter Linda Jane Maaia, son-in-law William Maaia and grandson Levi C. Maaia ran the company[8][9] until the sale of its telecommunications network to CountryWide Broadband for an undisclosed price.[10]