multiple-system operator

A multiple-system operator (MSO) is an operator of multiple cable or direct-broadcast satellite television systems. A cable system in the United States, by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) definition, is a facility serving a single community or a distinct governmental entity, each with its own franchise agreement with the cable company. Though in the strictest sense any cable company that serves multiple communities is an MSO, the term today is usually reserved for companies that own a large number of cable systems, such as Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications, and Videotron in Canada; Cablevision, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Time Warner Cable in the United States; or Virgin Media in the UK.