The VBS Group Inc. announced Thursday that its latest survey of cable
operators found that 85 percent regard cable networks' affiliate-only Web sites
as "important to their ability to do their work effectively."
That's up from 71 percent in 2000 and 44 percent in 1999, the New York-based
research firm said.
"Cable-affiliate Web sites have come of age as indispensable tools for cable
operators," VBS CEO Ted Valand said in a prepared statement.
Those sites supply affiliates with a wealth of information, ranging from
programming updates and research to marketing materials and local ad-sales
support.
In other findings, VBS said 98 percent of respondents were aware that the
networks provide affiliate sites, as well as consumer Internet sites (up from 80
percent awareness in 2000), and 80 percent visited five or more affiliate sites
within the previous month (up from 51 percent previously).
The results are based on telephone interviews with an unspecified number of
local-system and MSO-level personnel.
