Cable TV companies faced little competition in the market for subscription video service until 1994, when a new generation of satellite service known as direct broadcast satellite (DBS) was introduced. Since late 1999, DBS operators are now permitted and have begun to offer local broadcast signals in many markets throughout the U.S. This report provides information on the extent to which the level of subscribership (or "penetration") of DBS has influenced cable rates, and other key factors that may influence the level of cable rates. Also provides a brief history of the subscription video market.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.