In 1999, cable TV added 2 million new subscribers to satellite's 2.7 million. Analyst Jimmy Schaeffler of Carmel Group estimates that by 2009, satellite TV will hold 40 percent of the market. It keeps coming satellite's way. Satellite TV is getting a big boost from the new rules that allow providers to carry local channels, said Patti Reali, a senior analyst at Gartner's Dataquest. DirecTV offers local stations in 23 cities and EchoStar's Dish Networks has them in 28.
Cable stands to lose a pretty penny.
The challenge for both industries is to combine TV with new, Internet-related services that will bring new revenue from existing customers. It kind of made my decision easier to come to.