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BETHPAGE, N.Y., June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Cablevision Systems Corp. today announced the addition of VERSUS On Demand and GOLF CHANNEL On Demand to the wide variety of free video on demand (VOD) programming available to iO TV digital cable customers. With VERSUS On Demand, subscribers will have access to a diverse range of programming including highlights from best-in-class events such as the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and Tour de France, the network’s best hunting and fishing programming, classic boxing and mixed martial arts contests, among others. With GOLF CHANNEL On Demand, customers will have access to golf lessons, swing tips and popular series including Big Break, The Turn and Transamerica Playing Lessons from the Pros.
“Cablevision is committed to offering customers more value and more control over their entertainment experience by adding additional content to the iO TV Free On Demand library,” said John Trierweiler, Cablevision’s senior vice president of product management. “This expansion is part of an ongoing campaign to enhance our award-winning digital cable service through the addition of quality, branded content serving a wide variety of customer interests.”
GOLF CHANNEL became the exclusive cable home of the PGA TOUR in 2007, and televises part or all of every PGA TOUR event. In addition, the network is exclusive television home of the Nationwide Tour, European Tour and Canadian Tour, and the exclusive cable home of the Champions Tour. Also featured is a generous mix of other competition from the LPGA Tour, USGA, PGA of America, Asian Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour of Southern Africa.
VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 73 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, Davis Cup Tennis, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and Mountain West. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can’t find elsewhere.
VERSUS On Demand and GOLF CHANNEL On Demand programming is accessible at no additional charge to digital Family Cable customers with a set-top box through the Free On Demand menu on the iO TV user interface. All of Cablevision’s On Demand titles are presented in crystal clear quality with DVD-like functionality including the ability to pause, fast-forward and rewind programs through the remote control.
With nearly 2.7 million iO TV customers, more than 85 percent of Cablevision’s cable customers are iO TV digital cable customers, the highest digital penetration in the nation. iO TV offers customers access to up to 360 channels, including 53 premium movie channels, 48 channels of commercial-free digital music, more than 3,500 titles available on demand at all times, an interactive programming guide, 45 high-definition programming services and uniquely valuable interactive television applications including News 12 Interactive.
About Cablevision
Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the nation’s leading entertainment and telecommunications companies. Its cable television operations serve more than 3 million households in the New York metropolitan area. The company’s advanced telecommunications offerings include its iO TV SM digital television, Optimum Online(R) high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice(R) digital voice-over-cable, and its Optimum Lightpath integrated business communications services. Cablevision’s Rainbow Media Holdings LLC operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, WE tv and other national and regional networks. In addition to its telecommunications and programming businesses, Cablevision owns Madison Square Garden and its sports teams, the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty. The company also operates New York’s famed Radio City Music Hall, and owns and operates Clearview Cinemas.
Cablevision Systems Corporation

NEW YORK, April 10 /PRNewswire/ — New proprietary research released today by Centris (), the leading media market research firm, reveals that 9.2 million U.S. households could experience receptivity problems with digital TV signal coverage in the upcoming DTV transition on February 17, 2009. According to Centris, there are more than 17 million households currently receiving only over-the-air (OTA) analog signals in the U.S., of which 54ACIORFIPROCENTE are located in challenging reception areas. The study provides the first in-depth look on a national level at the scale of the issue, and identifies the top ten cities in the country that have the most consumers at- risk. The discovery of potential receptivity “gaps” in digital TV signal coverage was revealed in an earlier Centris study released in February and generated national dialogue on the issue.”We have completed an analysis of the entire country to identify where in each market the receptivity gaps exist and now have exact figures for the number of at-risk households down to individual census block groups,” says David Klein, Executive Vice President of Centris. “The statistics suggest that digital TV signal coverage will be significantly more limited than currently anticipated and further reinforce the need for industry and consumer education on this issue,” he adds.Increased risk in receptivity in regional markets depends on the local terrain, distance from towers, and the sensitivity of the consumer’s existing home antenna. “Challenging reception” in this context refers to consumers that receive only four or fewer broadcast TV stations if they only have a small or medium omnidirectional rooftop antenna or if they have an indoor antenna. In addressing the range of reception problems, Centris forecasts that 24ACIORFIPROCENTE of consumers in difficult reception areas who only have an indoor antenna or a small or medium omnidirectional antenna will receive no channels, and a further 10ACIORFIPROCENTE will receive only 1 channel.The findings mean that consumers who wish to remain OTA and continue to receive “free TV” may have to consider upgrading existing indoor or roof-top TV antennas to a more sensitive model in order to receive a satisfactory number of broadcast stations. Some over-the-air consumers who wish to buy a digital-analog converter box for use with their analog TVs may also have to consider an antenna upgrade. Similarly, consumers who are replacing an analog TV with a new digital TV may also have to contemplate obtaining a more sensitive antenna.The study also identifies the top ten most at-risk TV markets in the U.S., which account for 2 million of the over-the-air households in challenging reception areas, as follows: AT-RISK U.S. TV MARKETS (Ranked highest-lowest by No. of at-risk OTA households) 1. New York 2. Boston (Manchester) 3. Philadelphia 4. Los Angeles 5. Washington, DC (Hagerstown) 6. Seattle-Tacoma 7. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose 8. Minneapolis-St. Paul 9. Atlanta 10. Cleveland-Akron (Canton)”It should be noted that these estimates are conservative as the model used in the Centris study assumes that all consumers have roof-top antennas. In fact, the Centris survey reveals that 75ACIORFIPROCENTE or more of over-the-air households have only set-top antennas or ‘rabbit ears’ as they are commonly known,” says Barry Goodstadt, Senior Vice President of Centris.The release of this new study further highlights the need to increase dialogue on the national, regional, local and neighborhood level with regard to the issue of digital TV receptivity and the need for consumers to consider their transition options and potential antenna upgrades. Digital receptivity challenges remain a local issue that need to be addressed on a local level among all segments of the television industry including broadcasters, multichannel providers, advertisers, associations, equipment manufacturers and retailers.”To ensure a smooth transition and avoid the potential pitfalls of the digital TV transition, key players in the industry need to be armed with this information in order to make strategic business decisions and properly educate consumers,” says David Klein, Executive Vice President of Centris.About CentrisCentris is a leading market research and information company with expertise in media, entertainment, communications and technology, based in Fort Washington, PA. Serving as both a research resource and an analytical engine, Centris is the only firm that continuously tracks household information on broad entertainment, communications and information products and services. For more information, visit . Centris