Multichannel
television programming is often divided between
free-to-air channels,
specialty channels not carried FTA (colloquially referred to as "cable channels" in the United States), and
pay television (or "premium") services. Some countries may have "
must-carry" rules requiring television providers to carry specific FTA channels and other services, including local stations and national networks (such as
state and/or
public networks), and other networks of crucial
public interest (such as
public affairs networks). Most specialty networks are funded by
advertising and carriage fees paid by the television provider for the privilege to distribute the channel to its subscribers. Specialty channels can either target a general population similarly to FTA networks or aim to serve specific demographics or niches. Digital multichannel television platforms have more
bandwidth than analog cable services, meaning that there is
channel capacity for more
specialty channels catering to particular television market demographics or interests. In North America, the term "basic cable" often refers to the most widely carried specialty channels (in contrast to the channels launched primarily on digital cable and satellite only, due to their expanded capacity). In the U.S.,
Nielsen's top 10 "basic cable" channels of 2018 (on either full day or prime time viewership) included general entertainment networks such as
Hallmark Channel,
TBS,
TNT, and
USA Network,
factual networks such as
History,
HGTV, and
Investigation Discovery, national news services such as
CNN,
Fox News Channel, and
MSNBC, the children's channel
Nickelodeon, and sports network
ESPN.
Pay television channels are premium services funded by subscription fees paid by the customer, rather than advertising. They typically deal in premium content, such as
feature films (typically within a
release window between their theatrical release and their release on home video), and original series and specials. Some entertainment-oriented premium services have broadcast occasional sporting events; in the United States, premium networks such as
HBO and
Showtime are well known for their broadcasts of
boxing (HBO ended its boxing telecasts in 2018). Due to their cost and more limited availability, premium networks are usually more lenient in regards to content, and may air content largely uncensored (by contrast, in the United States, many basic cable networks
self-censor their programming for violent, profane, and sexual content because of viewer and advertiser expectations, and broadcast channels are restricted by law on their airing of "indecent" material). Some premium networks may broadcast (particularly in late-night hours), or are dedicated entirely, to
pornography. A modern premium service typically consists of multiple channels, including a main flagship channel, and several "multiplex" channels focusing on certain genres or demographics. == By country ==