Final answer:
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 brought significant changes to the television industry, including deregulation which allowed the cable industry to expand its audience and diversify its programming.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is A. Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 brought significant changes to the radio and television industries including deregulation, which allowed the cable industry to expand its audience and diversify its programming. The act dropped the limit on the number of radio and television stations a single company could own, allowing networks to purchase large numbers of cable stations.