▁paid ▁for ▁by ▁advert is ers . ▁ ▁Sub scription ▁television ▁became ▁popular ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁when ▁cable ▁television ▁began ▁to ▁offer ▁dedicated ▁channels ▁alongside ▁local ▁and ▁out - of - market ▁broadcast ▁stations ▁and ▁service ▁gradually ▁expanded ▁to ▁more ▁metropol itan ▁areas , ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁direct - bro ad cast ▁satellite ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁growing ▁in ▁significance ▁since ▁then ▁– ▁sp urr ing ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁mult in ational ▁con gl omer ates ▁such ▁as ▁Fox . ▁As ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁out lets ▁for ▁potential ▁new ▁television ▁channels ▁increased , ▁this ▁also ▁introduced ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁audience ▁f ract uring , ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁become ▁more ▁difficult ▁to ▁att ain ▁a ▁critical ▁mass ▁of ▁view ers ▁in ▁this ▁highly ▁compet itive ▁market ▁( free - to - air ▁satellite ▁had ▁a ▁brief ▁u pt ick ▁in ▁popular ity ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁but ▁never ▁achieved ▁main stream ▁popular ity ). ▁ ▁As ▁ratings ▁decl ined , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁game ▁shows ▁and ▁soap ▁oper as ▁followed , ▁with ▁the ▁former ▁genre ▁almost ▁completely ▁disappear ing ▁from ▁American ▁day time ▁television , ▁to ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁much ▁che aper ▁and ▁more ▁low brow ▁tab lo id ▁talk ▁shows , ▁many ▁of ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁were ▁can ce led ▁and ▁replaced ▁by ▁tele vised ▁binding ▁arbitr ation ▁court ▁shows ▁beginning ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0