Published for Advertising & Marketing Research Professionals by Beta Research Corporation

DISCOVERY, ESPN, HISTORY RANKED TOPS BY CABLE SUBSCRIBERS

In the latest syndicated Beta Research Cable Subscriber Study:

• Discovery Channel, ESPN, History Channel, Lifetime and CNN were most often mentioned as favorite basic cable channels.
  
  
• On program quality, Discovery Channel, History Channel, ESPN, TLC, CNN Weather Channel, CNN Headline News, and Disney Channel ranked the highest. Food Network, ESPN Classic, CMT, Hallmark Channel and Speedvision were top-ranked mid-sized networks.
  
  
• Discovery Channel, History Channel, CNN, The Weather Channel, ESPN and CNN Headline News were rated most important to enjoyment of cable.
  
  
• Food Network, Turner Classic Movies, WGN and ESPN Classic were the most important mid-sized networks.
  
  
• On several measures, news networks: CNN, Headline News, MSNBC, Fox News Channel and CNBC achieved significant increases in comparison to the 2000 survey.
  
  
• On the favorite and importance measures, Discovery Channel has been number one for eight years in a row. On program quality, Discovery Channel has been number one basic network for 13 years in a row.

The Beta Research Cable Subscriber Study -- Evaluation of Basic Cable Networks is a syndicated telephone survey among a national sample of 1,013 cable subscribers. The study measures perceptions of 30 major fully distributed networks (69 million of more cable subscribers at time of interviewing) and 15 mid-sized networks (35 million--68 million cable subscribers at time of interviewing). The study has been conducted annually since 1989. The study is purchased by over 40 basic cable networks. Interviews were conducted August 27--September 10 and from September 25--October 12. A majority of 600 interviews were conducted after the September 11 tragedy.

Percent Mentioning Unaided Among Five Favorite Channels
Top-Ranked Basic Channels Among Persons in Sytems Carrying Service

Percent Rating Quality of Programming 4/5 on 5-Point Scale
Top-Ranked Basic Channels Among Viewers of Service

MAJOR NETWORKS


MID-SIZED NETWORKS