cable news Written by Samuel A. Terilli, Jr. Contributor to SAGE Publications's The SAGE Encyclopedia of Journalism (2022) whose work appears in Britannica as part of a joint publishing agreement with SAGE. Samuel A. Terilli, Jr. Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 10, 2026 •History The development of cable news in the United States began with the launch of the Cable News Network (CNN) on cable television on June 1, 1980. Although CNN and its later competitors took years to gain a strong foothold in the U.S. broadcast news market, by the 1990s, the cable news channels or networks had become significant and powerful media organizations as viewership declined or stagnated for the evening news reports of the broadcasting networks...

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