Well, urban centers had a choice of over-the-air (OTA) TV and FM broadcast signals. So suburban areas may have adopted cable faster because they had less choices.
For those too young to have experienced OTA, the TV signal was crisper (no bleed) than cable. FM is actually CD-quality if you're in a major city and have a $1000 receiver.
For those too young to have experienced OTA, the TV signal was crisper (no bleed) than cable. FM is actually CD-quality if you're in a major city and have a $1000 receiver.