In the cable TV industry, an operator of multiple cable systems. A cable system, by FCC definition, is a facility serving a single community or a distinct governmental entity. Thus,Hence onethat cablesame operationfacility distributingserving signalsmultiple withincommunities twois separatean butMSO. contiguousMost municipalitiesall would be viewed by the FCC as two systems, even though unified in management and operation and providing the samecable serviceTV tocompanies eachare areaMSOs.
MostGoing allback cable TV companies are MSOs. Into early cable days manycable entrepreneurialcompanies businessmenwere would set up cable systemsestablished to serve a just single town. Systems began to buy up other systems in neighboring towns creating MSOs. ThisAnd actually this consolidation continues today (year 2005) with mega mergers & acquisitions of the top surviving operators.
