Cable is to TV what FM was to radio many years ago. FM was an addition to the traditional AM stations which played the basic news and talk shows, but it featured stations broadcasting interest based programming such as jazz and religion. Cable achieved fame with stations such as CNN, which featured news, and MTV, which glorified youth with music. These 1980s startups came to symbolize the TV outside of the usual networks and attracted large audiences, forming a multi-billion dollar industry.

How does cable enhance television for teens? Take what is most synonymous with cable: Music television. MTV, a company founded for this purpose, first flirted with Generation X and now is strong among age groups 12 to 18. With music videos as the center of its programming, MTV has made an effort to influence teenage lifestyles. "It makes you feel the music more when it has a video," remarked Nick San Juan, 16, a cable viewer. BET, Black Entertainment Television, is another music video based station, which is targeted towards African-American viewers, but has gained popularity among hip-hop fans everywhere. For teens music is at the forefront of making cable a must-have in the 90s.

For sports fans, a television without cable is like a CD player without a CD. It's true networks provide important games of the year, such as the Super Bowl and the World Series, but how about the other 350 somewhat days? A person cannot be considered a sports fan at all without watching Sportscenter on ESPN. Teenagers who play high school sports are likely to find college sports interesting to watch, and only cable airs college games on weekdays. Professional wrestling, which may be the soap opera of the 90s, with dramatic plots and bulky, heavy-muscled actors, make Sunday and Monday nights a thrill for those who enjoy WWF or WCW combat. Wrestling has been a blessing for the USA Network station and TBS, as male teen audiences have attracted many advertisers for their category.

Cartoons also attract heavy teen viewers, though many may consider watching big mallets and high cliff falls not as amusing anymore. However, stations such as Cartoon Network, which features old favorites such as Looney Tunes to a series of Japanese Animation cartoons like Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, have found themselves at the top of the list of things to watch everyday for teens. "I find cartoons amusing. I think it's a way of getting in touch with my childhood memories," says Justin Kil, 16, an avid viewer of cartoons. Networks carry the primetime hits such as The Simpsons or Dilbert, but only cable can bring the classical feeling of old school cartoons.

Whether cable TV is showing reruns of E.R. on TNT or some wildlife documentary on Discovery, the endless channels of entertainment and information should be worth the $30+ in monthly payments. For a little bit more, you can even get the premium channels such as HBO or Showtime, featuring movies you've always wanted to see and without the annoying commercials. As 16-year old Nikhil Madhok put it, "There's more to watch and better shows. There's variety and it's much clearer." Who knew that a single line connected to the wall could bring so much joy? It's true the emergence of the Internet has distanced some viewers from television, but nothing offers the quick, quality content from your fingertips than cable TV. It's more than TV and it's definitely fun.

"...the endless channels of entertainment and information should be worth the $30+ in monthly payments..."

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