page_title: George Barco
section_title: Achievements
hierarchical_section_title: George Barco / Achievements
caption_attribution_description: English: Entrance to the Barco Library at Barco Law Building of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law 40°26′30.9″N 79°57′20.5″W﻿ / ﻿40.441917°N 79.955694°W
context_page_description: George J. Barco was an American lawyer and cable television executive who played a key role in development of the cable industry.
context_section_description: From the early 1950s George and Yolanda Barco, who had also become a lawyer and worked closely with her father, 
  represented the cable TV industry in several important lawsuits.
  The Barcos launched a test case for the NCTA in Meadville, where they and one of their subscribers, Gus Pahoulis, sued for recovery of $70.40 paid in 1953 and 1954 for the 8% excise tax on cable subscription fees imposed by the Federal Internal Revenue Service. 
  They argued that local cable TV was not a communications service. They lost this case in the district court. 
  However they appealed the decision, and in March 1957 the Third Circuit Court found that CATV is "an aid in reception only", and the excise tax did not apply. An estimated $16 million of tax collected was eligible for refund on application by subscribers.
  George and Yolanda Barco played important roles in obtaining the regulatory rulings that allowed cable companies to use three inches of space on utility poles in exchange for reasonable fees, an achievement of huge value to the industry.
  The NCTA fought and lost two lawsuits over whether they needed to pay copyright fees when they retransmitted TV programming.
  In 1962 George Barco argued that since a CATV company simply received broadcast programming and shared it with subscribers, it was not a transmitter.
  The Supreme Court heard the case and agreed with Barco.
  George Barco's will established the Emmaline D. Barco Beautification Fund Trust, which has funded the planting of hundreds of trees in Meadville as well as plantings of bushes, maintenance of city flower beds and other work.
  The Barco-Duratz Foundation funds educational and literacy programs in the state of Pennsylvania.
  George and Yolanda Barco made many donations to the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, amounting to $11 million in total. 
  In June 2003 the University of Pittsburgh law school building was renamed the Barco Law Building in their honor.
caption: Busts of George and Yolanda Barco in the hall of the Barco Law Building
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