Abstract: This study compares policies history and development of cable television both in China and America by adopting sequential model of policy changes in media landscapes and making the industrial organization model as its descriptive tool. Tracking the evolution of cable policy in each country, it assesses effects on the market when the two countries that facing different pressures and employing different market structures made a transition from an old order to a new order. The results show that there would not be a positive change when only advocate competition, but will result in higher market power because of mergers and acquisitions resulting from competition. On the other hand, in order to achieve the goal of regulation, regulatory policy must be same to every competitor in the same market level. In addition, regardless of the existence of differences in regulatory thoughts and ways, the development of cable industry will eventually lead to convergence even though in the countries with different political systems, ideologies and values.