NEWS 12 HUDSON VALLEY TO OFFER LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE TO ROCKLAND AND ORANGE COUNTIES
(June 7, 2005, Bethpage, NY) Cablevision Systems Corporation today announced plans to launch the first 24-hour local cable news channel completely dedicated to the counties of Rockland and Orange. News 12 Hudson Valley will be available exclusively to Cablevision customers throughout the two counties, beginning June 14, 2005. News 12 Hudson Valley is the latest 24-hour local cable news channel from Cablevision's News 12 Networks, which operates 6 other news channels in the tri-state area. News 12 Hudson Valley will be available on channel 12 and be part of Cablevision's basic cable package.
News 12 Hudson Valley will offer unparalleled coverage of news, events and issues affecting the borough and its diverse communities. The channel provides an alternative to the Manhattan-focused "local news" the New York City broadcast channels provide, and the national focus of other cable news programming. News 12 Hudson Valley will offer viewers a depth of reporting and a breadth of coverage that is 100% focused on Rockland and Orange and the concerns of their residents. General Manager and News Director Camilo Pombo-Sáenz, a 35-year veteran of television news, will oversee all operations.
"News 12 is an excellent example of the unique and underlying value of our service, delivering intensely local news coverage that is important to our customers and not available from any other provider," said Tom Rutledge, Cablevision's chief operating officer. "The launch of News 12 Hudson Valley underscores Cablevision's longstanding commitment to delivering exclusive award-winning programming that has significant value for our customers. We believe that residents of Rockland and Orange will come to depend on News 12 Hudson Valley for the important local news and information that has the most direct and meaningful impact on their daily lives."
Patrick Dolan, President of News 12 Networks added: "News 12 pioneered regional news programming nearly 20 years ago, and it is the country's first, largest, and most watched regional news network. Since its creation, News 12 has become much more than a 24-hour news service; it has become the number-one source of information for the communities it serves. That's why we're 'as local as local news gets.' We look forward to becoming that source in Rockland and Orange."
News 12 Hudson Valley's headquarters is located at 235 W. Nyack Road in West Nyack (Rockland County). An additional bureau in Orange County, on 19 South Street in Warwick, will allow news crews access to either county at any time for breaking news. News 12 Hudson Valley will feature the latest in newsroom production and newsgathering technology, including a state-of-the-art fully automated studio control system.
Additionally, News 12 Hudson Valley will draw on the extensive television news background and resources of the entire News 12 Networks operation. News 12 Hudson Valley will have access to the News 12 fleet of satellite and live remote trucks as well as Chopper 12, the only news helicopter in the nation that is owned and operated by a regional cable news service. This state-of-the-art newsgathering helicopter will allow video access of stories not accessible by ground crews.
"News 12 Hudson Valley will enable Cablevision subscribers to receive major market quality news whenever they need it, at any hour of the day or night," said Ms. Rose. "We'll do much more than tell you what's happening in your neighborhood; we'll tell you why it's happening. From stories on local schools, to profiles of elected officials, to reports of how local tax dollars are being spent, News 12 Hudson Valley will be there. Plus we'll introduce the audience to people and organizations making a positive difference in the areas. It will be well rounded coverage of all of the issues and newsmakers in and around Hudson Valley, and it will be news you can't get anywhere else."
News 12 Hudson Valley will be featured on the award-winning News 12 Networks website, news12.com. Orange and Rockland top stories, numbers and links given in the newscast, the "what's to do" community calendar, and more will all be available via the World Wide Web. Additionally, news12.com features all of the local school and business closings up-to-the-minute during inclement weather. To date, news12.com averages more than 7 million page-views every month.
News 12 Networks launched the first local cable news channel on Long Island in 1986, and currently operates 24-hour news operations in, Connecticut, New Jersey, Westchester, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, in addition to Long Island. With a staff of more than 500, News 12 Networks is the largest news operation in the New York metropolitan area. As of June 14, 2005, News 12 Networks will reach more than 3.7 million households in the tri-state area, including the nearly 100,000 Cablevision households in Rockland and Orange Counties.
News 12 Networks is owned and operated by Cablevision Systems Corporation. Cablevision is one of the nation's leading entertainment and telecommunications companies. Its cable television operations serve 3 million households located in the New York metropolitan area. Cablevision owns a controlling interest and operates Madison Square Garden and its sports teams including the Knicks and Rangers. The company also operates New York's famed Radio City Music Hall and owns and operates Clearview Cinemas in the New York metropolitan area.