The company was started in 1948 in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania by John Walson, who owned a General Electric appliance store. At the time, the surrounding mountains in Schuylkill County made over-the-air reception from Philadelphia television stations difficult. Walson was interested in selling television sets through his store, and solved the problem by building an antenna on top of the mountain overlooking the town.
Walson established the company in 1948 in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, where he operated a General Electric appliance store. Due to the nearby mountains in Schuylkill County blocking TV signals from Philadelphia, Walson sought to sell TVs through his store and devised a solution by building an antenna on top of the mountain.