Is local Cable a good choice for a direct response schedule? No, it is not.
Cable is the perfect example of fragmentation (A term applied to the increasing number of audience subdivisions). Cable penetration averages around 60% (varies by market), so you are cutting your audience right off the bat.
Next choice….what network to buy? There are multiple networks to choose from, which further fragments your audience. When buying cable, always request cable DMA numbers; they are quite different from entire DMA numbers. Cable is a good choice for a less expensive branding campaign. For example, Prime Time is typically less expensive on cable versus broadcast (for the reasons above).
