in Ninety-Minute Exchange on Local Issues
First Televised Debate Between U.S. Senate Candidates Will Air Statewide Without Commercial Interruption; Co-sponsored By The Star-Ledger and News 12 New Jersey
Edison, New Jersey, August 20, 2002 – News 12 New Jersey today announced its plan to televise the first debate between candidates in the race for New Jersey United States Senator. According to News 12 New Jersey News Director and General Manager Jonathan Knopf, the debate “offers the candidates a ninety-minute forum to field questions on issues important to the people of New Jersey – an hour and a half, no commercials and no holds barred.” Joining News 12 New Jersey as co-sponsor is The Star-Ledger. Both will provide journalists to serve on the panel of questioners. News 12 New Jersey political analyst and host of “New Jersey Power & Politics” Jim McQueeny will serve as moderator. News 12 New Jersey special projects producer William Schlosser is at the helm for the televised forum.
“This is a highly charged contest between two candidates who are running neck and neck,” Mr. Knopf said. “We’re proud to partner with The Star-Ledger and afford the public this opportunity to hear the candidates’ positions on the issues.”
The ninety-minute debate will be televised live at 8:00pm on September 5, with replays scheduled for Saturday, September 7 at 10:30am and Sunday, September 8 at 3:00pm.
News 12 New Jersey is the exclusive 24-hour local news channel dedicated to serving 14 counties in New Jersey. The cable exclusive service currently reaches more than 1,800,000 homes on the Cablevision, Comcast, Service-Electric and Time-Warner cable systems in Northern and Central New Jersey. News 12 New Jersey is part of News 12 Networks—the first, largest and most-watched regional news service in the nation.
News 12 New Jersey is owned and managed by Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a leader in news, sports and entertainment programming. A subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC) and NBC, Rainbow manages American Movie Classics, WE: Women’s Entertainment, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel, MuchMusic USA, Rainbow Sports Networks, News 12 Networks, and MetroChannels as well as the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. In addition, Rainbow is a fifty-percent partner in FOX Sports Net.
Cablevision Systems Corporation 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. The company’s advanced telecommunications offerings include its Lightpath integrated business communications services; its Optimum-branded high-speed Internet service and iO: Interactive Optimum, the company’s newly introduced digital television offering. Cablevision’s Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. operates programming businesses including American Movie Classics, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel and other national and regional services. In addition, Rainbow is a 50 percent partner in Fox Sports Net. Cablevision also owns a controlling interest and operates Madison Square Garden and its sports teams including the Knicks and Rangers. The company operates New York’s famed Radio City Music Hall and owns and operates THE WIZ consumer electronics stores and Clearview Cinemas in the New York metropolitan area. Additional information about Cablevision Systems Corporation is available on the Web at www.cablevision.com.