During his time at CIE, Theroux specialized in the use of radio for Nonformal Education.  When combined with a doctoral dissertation about the use of entertainment formats for education, he caught the attention of the research staff at Sesame Street, where he worked for two years.  That job led him to transition to the business side of television, and he went on to earn an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He then spent three years as a manager with Time Warner Cable, and in 1984 he founded Metropolitan Cablevision and became its CEO.

Upon graduation I returned to Iran where over the next 7 years I was able to establish two colleges, one for foreign languages and one for teacher training & education.  From 1974-1979 I was Dean of the College of Education & Psychology at the National University of Iran.

I was in the process of starting a new K-16 institution on Kish Island for International students when the Islamic revolution intervened and I returned to the States.