U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for June 1: 25 Years of Cable News

WASHINGTON, May 31 -- Following is the daily “Profile America” feature for June 1 from the U.S. Census Bureau:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1: 25 YEARS OF CABLE NEWS

Profile America Wednesday, June 1st. What is now routine for many Americans each day checking in on an all-news cable television channel for the latest events around the world began on this day 25 years ago. That’s when Cable News Network started its service. At the time, many critics questioned whether the public would be interested in a channel that carried nothing but news, 24 hours a day. Now, there are not only a number of such news channels, but others dedicated fully to golf, religion, automobiles and cooking, among other special interests. When CNN began operations, about 1-in-5 American households were hooked up to cable. Today, cable television reaches 3-out-of-4 households across the U.S. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov .

Sources: Chase’s Calendar of Events 2005, p. 304 Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2004-2005, t. 56, 1120 http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html

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Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments ready to air on a monthly CD or on Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the “Newsroom” button). For further information, contact Rick Reed at 301-763-2812, fax at 301-457-3670, or e-mail at rreed@census.gov.

Contact Information

Rick Reed

Media Contact

U.S. Census Bureau

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