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State Journal, The

By Lawrence, Pat

Arthur Cooper was working in a chemical plant when he bought a small community antenna system in 1977.

Despite tough competition from much bigger cable companies, the locally owned and operated CAS Cable in south Parkersburg has grown from 200 subscribers to more than 5,000 and provides a full range of services for consumer and commercial accounts in Wood, Jackson and Preston counties.

According to Vice President and Business Manager Lisa Wilkenson, her father's vision in implementing the latest in technical developments has been key to the company's success.

"We were the first company in the area to offer Internet service with cable services," she said. "Today, we provide basic cable, digital cable, high-definition TV, premium services, pay-for-view, cable advertising and high-speed Internet service to customers in Wood, Jackson and Preston counties. We stay very up to date."

Fifteen employees and a fleet of 10 service and installation vehicles handle network engineering, technical support, accounting and customer service at the company's Dupont Road offices. The site is surrounded by satellite dishes and towers that receive and transmit from 70 affiliates.

"I check e-mail all night long," Wilkenson said. "Our affiliates like USA, TBS and CNN send technical and program information all the time. These are the products we sell, so we have to stay closely in touch with them."

CAS pays a monthly fee per subscriber and participates in a co- op to take advantage of better rates.

According to Wilkenson, high-speed capability has transformed the business and become a large part of its revenues.

"About half of our customers choose high-speed Internet service," Wilkenson said.

She said the company currently is upgrading the system lmegabytes to 3 Mb. Although the company owns and installed the cable that carries the signal, CAS has moved to a fiber network for higher capacity.

Both of Cooper's daughters are civil engineers who have joined the business, as have their husbands.

Wilkenson, a former civil engineer on the Corridor D project, came on board in 2000. Melissa Defibaugh began handling payroll and payables in 2001.

Family operated and oriented, CAS maintains close connection with the local community by featuring local live and and taped sports and events produced in collaboration with students and teachers of the Wood County Vocational Technical Center involved with the Wood County Broadcasting Network.

Students and teachers interested in television production join CAS employees in filming and producing the popular local programming.

"Our community has always been a very important part of our business," Wilkenson said. "The CAS channel 45 focuses on local sports and events that are of special interest to the community.

"We try to have something live each week, or twice each week during the school year, including girls' soccer and volleyball."

In August, CAS presented the Parkersburg Homecoming parade and fireworks live, as well as the Parkersburg High School and George Washington High School football game. In October, the PHS versus Parkersburg South High School football game is scheduled as a live presentation. Printed schedules are available in the company office or on its Web site. Covered events also are available on VHS and DVD from the company.

Another reflection of the company's family orientation is that CAS filters the high-speed Internet for pornography.

"Since CAS is committed to providing family-friendly, reliable services for the people we serve, we pay a fee for a database that includes pornographic Web sites and reviewed daily, and those sites are blocked," Wilkenson said.

She said CAS is the only cable company that carries the local NBC affiliate WTAP on the HD TV service, "so local news and local sporting events are available in high definition."

"Our customers receive the same services provided by larger companies, but with excellent customer service because it's local, not in another state or country," she said.

Like other providers, CAS Cable is vulnerable to power outages, so it keeps "about half a dozen generators to take up the slack." Although after-hours incoming calls are directed to an answering service, a local technician is always on call.

According to Cooper, the company is looking to expand into Vienna.

"We have lines through Parkersburg already; we just need to run more through Vienna."

Wilkenson said her father is responsible for the company's long- term and strategic planning.

"The status quo isn't good enough for him," she said. "He says you have to look to improve. To grow and learn more, you have to take new opportunities and see what you can do better tomorrow."

Copyright State Journal Corporation Oct 14, 2005