Walkout helps cable in the long run

February 27, 2008 For all the agitation it caused the television industry, the writers strike had an undeniably salubrious effect on cable ratings, as seven of the top 10 ad-supported networks in February saw their primetime deliveries swell by double-digit percentages compared with a year ago. 24, the 10 leading ad-supported cable networks averaged a whopping 24.9% increase in total viewers in primetime compared with February 2007, a number artificially inflated by CNN's primary-fueled surge of 133%. USA Network was No. 1 for the month, averaging 3 million viewers in primetime, a 10% jump compared with February 2007.

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