On July 12, 1962, the Telstar 1 satellite transmitted images from the Andover earth station in Maine to the Pleumeur-Bodou telecommunications center in Brittany, France. This marked the birth of satellite television. Only three years later, the first commercial satellite was sent into space for broadcasting purposes.
Satellite television systems allowed television networks to broadcast around the world, no matter how far from the rest of society the receiver might be. Although owning a personal receiver was, and still is, far more expensive than conventional television, the networks took advantage of such systems to offer subscription services that were not available to ordinary consumers. These services were a natural evolution of already existing “cable channels,” such as Home Depot, which relied on direct payment from consumers rather than outside advertising.
The first live satellite broadcast, which could be watched worldwide, took place in June 1967. The BBC’s “Our World” program used several geostationary satellites to broadcast a special entertainment event that included the first public performance of “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles.