The average cable television company offers its customers 50 channels, but new fiber-optic lines will enable telephone companies to provide 100 to 150 television channels to their customers for the same price as cable companies charge for 50. Therefore, cable companies will be displaced by the new
television services offered by telephone companies within a few years.
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to strengthen the argument?
(A) The initial cost per household of installing new fiber-optic television service will exceed the current cost of installing cable television service. - WRONG. Goes against even though it may not be that much of a weakener.
(B) The most popular movies and programs on channels carried by cable companies will also be offered on channels carried by the fiberoptic lines owned by the telephone companies. - CORRECT. Not the best of the strengthener but best among the lot. If more channels are covered with those that people already watch on cable tv also included, there's more likely a chance that peopl opt for new tech being the assumption.
(C) Cable television companies will respond to competition from the telephone companies by increasing the number of channels they offer. - WRONG. Again like A its a weakener sort of.
(D) Some telephone companies own cable companies in areas other than those in which they provide telephone services. - WRONG. Irrelevant.
(E) The new fiber-optic services offered by telephone companies will be subject to more stringent governmental programming regulations than those to which cable companies are now subject. - WRONG. Totally a weakener with a greater intensity of power of going against.
Answer B.