Oak Industries began operations in the early 1930a as a manufacturer of radio components. The California based company struggled financially through its first few years but managed to emerge from the Depression, unlike many of its competitors. In the late 1960s, Oak expanded into the cable television industry. Technological innovation developed by the company contributed to the tremendous growth of that industry during the past few decades. In 1977, Oak began marketing subscription television services. Within four year, Oak ranked as the largest operator of subscription television systems in the United States. Oak’s subscription television subsidiary also generated the majority of the company’s annual by the early 1980s