Re cable television,and free for alls,what you have described is near enough to the way it was done,all you had to do was get into the main junction box add a splitter then run cable to you TV,
another way is,and this is still in use as i speak,and all you have to do is buy a D-Box i.e.digi box from Germany,change the two pin plug to a three, plug it in and hey presto,all channels no bills
Wullie