, ▁cable ▁networks ▁have ▁grown ▁to ▁become ▁just ▁as ▁big ▁a ▁market ▁as ▁the ▁local ▁TV ▁stations . ▁Another ▁consideration ▁was ▁that ▁Fox ' s ▁parent ▁company ▁News ▁Corporation ▁was ▁having ▁meet ings ▁discuss ing ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁a ▁cable ▁channel ▁that ▁would ▁only ▁air ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ▁episodes . ▁Anal yst s ▁consider ▁a ▁can cellation ▁and ▁subsequent ▁second - run ▁deal ▁that ▁includes ▁cable ▁networks ▁to ▁be ▁worth ▁$ 7 5 0 ▁million . ▁On ▁this ▁issue , ▁Al ▁Jean ▁commented ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁TV ▁Guide ▁that ▁" It ' s ▁a ▁big ▁company , ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁definitely ▁people ▁whose ▁interests ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁better ▁served ▁by ▁ending ▁it . ▁Those ▁interests ▁were ▁su pers eded ▁because ▁we ' re ▁still ▁valuable ▁to ▁the ▁network ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁our ▁ratings ." ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁negoti ations , ▁the ▁studio ▁requested ▁that ▁the ▁cast ▁members ▁accept ▁a ▁ 4 5 % ▁cut ▁of ▁their ▁sal aries ▁so ▁that ▁more ▁seasons ▁could ▁be ▁produced ▁after ▁season ▁ 2 3 , ▁or ▁else ▁that ▁season ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁series ' ▁last . ▁The ▁actors ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁pay ▁cut , ▁but ▁wanted ▁a ▁percentage ▁of ▁the ▁back - end ▁pay ments ▁instead . ▁At ▁one ▁point , ▁Harry ▁She ar er ▁even ▁offered ▁a ▁ 7 0 % ▁pay ▁cut ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁back - end ▁percent ages , ▁but ▁the ▁studio ▁was ▁unw illing ▁to ▁make ▁any ▁deal ▁involving ▁back - end ▁percent ages . ▁In ▁the ▁end