A Statistical Analysis of the Impact of Cable Television on the Use of Competing Media

Cable television has become one of the fastest growing and most successful forms of mass information dissemination in recent years. Despite widespread acceptance of cable, little research has been conducted to date regarding the competitive effects of cable upon other media forms. Hence, the purpose of this study was to scientifically assess the impact of cable television subscription on the use of competing media. A forty-six item questionnaire was assembled and administered to 182 cable subscribers in the Springfield, Missouri cable system. The research findings demonstrate, in general, that services available on current cable systems receive frequent use and exhibit strong influences on the use of competing media. More specific statistical analyses revealed that pay movie channels directly compete with local television viewing and movie theater attendance, that import channels compete with newspaper reading, and that automated information channels compete with all forms of alternate media examined. This study implies that cable television does, indeed, directly compete with other media forms within the community