The argument advanced in this paper maintains that cable television differs from broadcasting, due to the local character of certain cable services; that the current obscenity standards, as articulated by the Supreme Court, mandate community definitions of obscenity; and that such Supreme Court decisions apply to cable television. Separate sections consider judicial decisions relevant to obscenity standards, obscenity and broadcasting, and cable regulation; the community, the cable, and obscenity; the uniqueness of cable; and the uniqueness of cable television as compared with other broadcast media. (Author/AA)