Glenn Jones, Cable Pioneer and founder of Jones International, died this morning. He was 85. In a statement, Stacey Slaughter, CEO of Jones/NCTI, wrote:
"On behalf of the Jones International team, I am deeply saddened to share that Glenn R. Jones passed away this morning. Glenn was a man before his time. He transformed the communications, information, entertainment and educational landscape by bringing cable television to millions of Americans. He freed higher education from the brick walls of traditional universities by bringing learning to people in their own homes, first via cable and later through the Internet and mobile devices. While the word visionary is often overused, it's a perfect description for Glenn. He leaves a tremendous legacy for our Jones companies and for the industries he served.
"Many of us worked side-by-side with Glenn for 20 years or more. He never retired. The businesses he created were his life's passion. Jones/NCTI and the Jones International family celebrate Glenn's countless contributions and honor his memory by continuing his vision for both the industry and our global community.
"All of us in the Jones family would like to say the heartfelt words to Glenn that he said to so many of us, 'Although you may leave us, you will always belong.'"
Jones spent five decades extending the reach of technology, first by bringing cable TV to American homes, then by fusing education with the Internet to deliver education to lifelong learners worldwide. Along the way, he created numerous businesses in the fields of digital encryption, digital compression, Internet technology, e-commerce, software development, education, cable networks, entertainment, mobile communications, radio networks and advertising sales. He also authored several books.
Jones began his career in cable in 1961 by representing cable companies in their acquisition efforts. In 1967, he purchased his first cable system in Georgetown, CO, which was the genesis of Jones Intercable.