One of the more challenging tasks faced by cable operators is selecting programming services that meet the particular needs of their cable systems. It is an ongoing concern, one that affects nearly every aspect of a cable system's business operations. The majority of cable subscribers in the United States have fifty-four or more channels from which to choose (NCTA, 2000). This means the cable operator must make fifty-four or more well-reasoned business decisions concerning how best to use a cable system's channel capacity. Channel capacity for the operator is very much like shelf space in the supermarket. It is a finite, limited "good"; once it is dedicated to a product, all other possibilities for uses of that space are eliminated. The cable operators generally seek to use that channel capacity in a way that helps to maximize company profits, adds quality to the...