ABSTRACT
All radio, television, and cable networks share several characteristics. Commercial networks offer advertisers convenience, economy, and quality. Commercial networks offer programming to affiliates. An affiliated station or cable system receives contemporary, highly promoted programming that it could not afford to produce on its own. Pay networks are also designed to make money but work somewhat differently. Most permanent, full-time, full-service broadcast network organizations have a somewhat stable lineup of affiliated stations. Advertising-supported cable networks usually charge cable system affiliates on a per-subscriber/per-month basis. In microwave relay, a modulator converts the network signal to microwave frequencies for long-distance transmission. Promoters of fiber optics would like to bring network distribution back to earth.
