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As network programming evolved, so did cable programming—offering greater variety of content and services thanks in part to satellite technology. For instance, in 1975, the HBO (originally called Home Box Office) premium cable service began delivering uncut, commercial-free movies and exclusive live coverage of major boxing matches for a monthly fee. The following year an independent Atlanta broadcast station, WTBS, owned then by eventual media mogul Ted Turner, was uplinked to a satellite and made available to cable companies, becoming the first cable "superstation." In 1980, Turner, who had become a major player in cable, established CNN (originally the Cable News Network) as a 24/7 news operation. Such efforts gave more people greater and more convenient TV access to movies, news, sports, and other content—presenting a direct challenge to traditional over-the-air broadcast TV.

With the advent of satellite TV, cable companies could excel at narrowcasting—the delivery of specialized programming like the History Channel or the Food Network for niche viewer groups—which cut into broadcasting’s large mass audience. Narrowcasting in turn gave rise to different types of cable stations offering different types of content and service options: Viewers could choose basic cable services for a modest monthly fee or add premium cable services for a higher monthly or per-use fee. (See "Media Literacy Case Study: The United Segments of America: Niche Marketing in Cable.")