TEL Magazine Back Issues
    Telephone Electronics Line    

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Overview

Telephone Electronics Line (TEL) was a small publication that was dedicated to phone phreaking and hacking put out by Teletronics Company of America (TCA) in Ls Angeles, California.

The Teletronics Company of America began publishing it monthly in November 1974 with Jack Kranyak the Editor-in-Chief and David Ress the Technical Director and Communications Consultant.  Staff writers consisted of David Autovon, Robert Klein, Donald Simmones, John Reynolds, and Monti Rieman.

TEL was similar to TAP, but was geared totally toward phone phreaking.

In 1975, Pacific Telephone & Telegraph (PT&T) won a lawsuit against the publishers of TEL.  The Superior Court of California ordered TEL to stop publishing immediately.  Though never challenged in court, this was truly a violation of First Amendment rights.

A letter was mailed to all subscribers advising them to destroy all back issues of TEL.

TEL ceased publishing after only seven issues.

"TELEPHONE ELECTRONICS LINE better known as TEL, has lost its suit with PT&T and was forced to commit the unpardonable sin of turning over their mailing list to PT&T.  (We don't intend TAP subscribers to suffer in the same fate.  Only one person has access to the mailing list.  He and it are being wired to self-destruct in the case of attack.)  The Gestapo tactics of PT&T's in-security department has included the mailing of a threat note telling all TEL subscribers to not only remove all 'foreign' equipment from their phone but demanding that all back issues of TEL and related TEL publications be destroyed!  They've got f*ckin' balls!  Asking to remove homemade equipment is one thing but demanding that printed information be destroyed just reeks of 1984, S-1, and Fahrenheit 451.  While TEL left much to be desired and at the best can only be considered an illegitimate offspring of TAP, they are nevertheless to be applauded for printing information that apparently pissed off PT&T enough to take them to court.  My own gut reaction to the tactics of PT&T can be summed up in two words: Phuck you!  For you customers 'served' by PT&T may I suggest that you look to GT&E or some other independent telephone company for all your future business.  And for all TEL subscribers who received PT&T's threat note, may I suggest that you either roll it up and smoke a joint in it or keep it handy in the smallest room in your house and put it to good use whenever you get the urge from Mother Nature."

    --- Excerpt from the June 1976 issue of TAP Magazine about the TEL court incident.






Download Issues

TEL Magazine - Volume 1, Issue 1  (November 1974)




TEL Magazine - Volume 1, Issue 2  (December 1974)




TEL Magazine - Volume 2, Issue 1  (January 1975)




TEL Magazine - Volume 2, Issue 2  (February 1975)




TEL Magazine - Volume 2, Issue 3  (March 1975)




TEL Magazine - Volume 2, Issue 4  (April 1975)




TEL Magazine - Volume 2, Issue 5  (May 1975)




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