Satellite tops cable in six markets
That's the latest word from the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), which analyzes Nielsen data to determine the penetration of alternated delivery services (ADS) for television - satellite (mostly), wireless cable and such - and for wired cable. TVB reports that the wired cable MSOs lost 1.8 million subscribers over the past year and dropped to a 15-year low of 63.4% US household penetration. ADS penetration increased to 22.6% as of May 2006 from 20.5% a year earlier. Those six markets where there are now more ADS than cable subscribers include one in the top 100, #77 Springfield, MO, and five smaller markets, #130 Chico-Redding, CA, #132 Columbus, MS, #163 Idaho Falls-Pocatello, ID, #168 Missoula, MT, and #192 Twin Falls, ID. Here are the large, medium and small markets with the highest ADS penetration.
|
Top 10 in Markets 1-50
|
|
|
DMA
Name
|
ADS as %
TV HH
|
ADS as %
Subscription
TV HH*
|
|
1
|
Salt Lake City
|
33.6
|
45.7
|
|
2
|
Albuquerque-Santa Fe
|
36.2
|
45.2
|
|
3
|
Dallas-Ft. Worth
|
33.6
|
42.8
|
|
4
|
Greenvll-Spart-Ashevll-An
|
34.7
|
40.4
|
|
5
|
St. Louis
|
30.8
|
39.1
|
|
6
|
Sacramnto-Stkton-Modesto
|
32.6
|
38.6
|
|
7
|
Memphis
|
30.3
|
36.5
|
|
8
|
Birmingham (Ann, Tusc)
|
32.8
|
36.3
|
|
9
|
Nashville
|
31.2
|
35.7
|
|
10
|
Denver
|
29.0
|
33.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Wired cable and/or ADS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top 10 in Markets 51-100
|
|
|
DMA
Name
|
ADS as %
TV HH
|
ADS as %
Subscription
TV HH*
|
|
1
|
Springfield, MO
|
41.6
|
53.2
|
|
2
|
Shreveport
|
42.0
|
48.7
|
|
3
|
Paducah-Cape Girard-Harsb
|
38.7
|
45.3
|
|
4
|
Jackson, MS
|
38.8
|
44.4
|
|
5
|
Little Rock-Pine Bluff
|
36.6
|
43.3
|
|
6
|
South Bend-Elkhart
|
32.3
|
42.6
|
|
7
|
Spokane
|
34.6
|
41.7
|
|
8
|
Roanoke-Lynchburg
|
36.1
|
41.3
|
|
9
|
Fresno-Visalia
|
30.7
|
41.2
|
|
10
|
Tulsa
|
33.9
|
40.2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Wired cable and/or ADS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top 10 in Markets 100+
|
|
|
DMA
Name
|
ADS as %
TV HH
|
ADS as %
Subscription
TV HH*
|
|
1
|
Idaho Falls-Pocatello
|
47.9
|
58.7
|
|
2
|
Missoula
|
41.5
|
52.8
|
|
3
|
Columbus-Tupelo-West Poin
|
44.3
|
50.9
|
|
4
|
Twin Falls
|
41.7
|
50.4
|
|
5
|
Chico-Redding
|
41.3
|
50.0
|
|
6
|
Columbia-Jefferson City
|
40.2
|
48.9
|
|
7
|
Meridian
|
42.6
|
48.7
|
|
8
|
Boise
|
33.6
|
48.1
|
|
9
|
Abilene-Sweetwater
|
39.5
|
46.2
|
|
10
|
Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk
|
38.5
|
45.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Wired cable and/or ADS
|
|
|
Source: TVB; Nielsen Media Research/NSI,May 2006
TVBR observation:
Hmmmm, did something happen last year in Springfield, MO? We seem to recall something about Nexstar Broadcasting pulling its signals from local cable in a dispute over retransmission consent payments. It has since settled and those network affiliate channels are back on local cable - but the satellite guys got a market share boost from the fight.
