In the early 1980's, cable television systems were beginning to develop in small towns throughout the area. Rather than having an outside company create a cable system for the area in 1981, West River Cooperative Telephone Company's Board of Directors had a feasibility study conducted for a CATV system for the Town of Bison to see the amount of interest and who might aquire the service. An application was made to the Town of Bison for a Franchise in September of 1981. Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation for West River Telephone were amended in October, of 1981 to incorporate the CATV. A motion was made to proceed with the construction of a CATV system in Bison in December of 1981. Martin and Associates out of Mitchell were hired to do the initial design and staking of the system. Thomas Construction actually built the system. A loan application was submitted to RUS for $1.5 million. Sign up for members in the Town of Bison began in February, 1982 with a potential of 207 subscribers.  Although sign-up was low, plans proceeded. Permits were received from the FCC and cable was laid in October of 1982 and the system was complete in December of 1982 with 135 signed-up members. West River CATV was organized in 1982 with 119 members originally signing up and 135 connecting by December of that year. 

As of 2004, West River Cable Television became a wholly-owned subsidiary of West River Cooperative Telephone Company, providing quality cable in the towns of Bison, Buffalo, Faith, McIntosh, McLaughlin, Lemmon, Selfridge (ND), and Timber Lake. All of these towns, excluding Bison, were purchased from Midcontinent Communications in August of 2004, and operations by WRCATV began on November 17, 2004. Total new subscriber base at the time of the purchase was 1,039.