 At its peak in 1969, 15,000 were paying to receive their television pictures via cable television.However, this was a relay service in the true sense – in other words only existing terrestrial programmes could be put on the cable, and in consequence, the interest in cable started to decline as more and more BBC and ITV transmitters made reception clearer.Unlike their American counterparts, the British companies were not allowed to broadcast out-of-area signals or original programmes.