Annual Beta Survey of Basic Cable: Operators Rank Two ESPN Channels as Most Valuable; Guess Which Network Ranked No. 3 Multichannel News

Beta Research's Annual survey of cable operators one again ranked two ESPN channels in the top two postions of most valuable basic cable networks, according to Multichannel News.

ESPN ranked No.1 with operators ascribing a value to the network of 93 cents a month. ESPN2 was second on the list at a valuation of 53 cents a month.

According to the report, No. 3 was the Disney Channel (42 cents), followed by Fox News Channel (40 cents), "Discovery Channel and TNT (36 cents apiece); CNN (35 cents); USA Network (34 cents), NFL Network (33 cents), Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite and TBS (each at 32 cents); and The Weather Channel (31 cents)."

--Chuck Ross