• CNNMoney.com, Tuesday, June 19, 2007 10:30 AM

While it rarely comes close to the kind of ratings enjoyed by even the weakest broadcast shows, cable TV is actually among the hotter segments of the media business these days. Several reports show cable's ad growth outpacing the broadcast nets. One from TNS predicts the medium will gain 5.9% this year, compared to just 1.3% for national network.

"Increasingly, ad-supported cable networks are getting a bigger share of prime-time ratings," says Brad Adgate, senior vice president of corporate research for Horizon Media. "And the ad dollars do follow the eyeballs." He says cable will probably continue to be among the fastest-growing media businesses. One edge cable has, especially in the summer, is that its top nets, like USA, TNT and FX, often save their top programs then, when the nets are in reruns or reality shows.

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