Cable company revenues climbed faster than the rate of inflation in 2005, but cable’s share of the TV-viewing market declined as satellite services picked up subscribers, the FCC said in its latest annual report on video competition.
Cable’s revenues rose about 10.8 percent over the year through June 2005, the report said. The number of cable households fell by nearly 1 million, and cable’s share of households with something more than an antenna fell to 69.4 percent from 71.6 percent a year earlier. At the same time, satellite TV’s share of those households rose to 27.7 percent from 25.1 percent, the Associated Press reported.
The FCC didn’t indicate how much cable rates rose, but Commissioner Michael Copps said they were too high.
