iO International Adds Mediaset Italia Channel and iO Italian Package

BETHPAGE, N.Y., Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced the availability of the new iO Italian package, which includes the newly added Italian-language channel, Mediaset Italia (channel 1195) as well as Rai Italia (channel 279 / 1194). Customers can now get more news, entertainment and sports programming directly from Italy.

iO Italian features the Italian networks Mediaset Italia and Rai Italia together in one cohesive television package for customers who want to stay connected to Italy.

Mediaset Italia brings audiences the latest news, dramas, reality, talent and talk shows from Italy, as well as excites fans with the best Italian soccer.  Programming highlights include:

COPPA ITALIA LIVE MATCHES, the exclusive broadcasting partner of Serie A Italian football league, viewers can tune-in for the live quarter finals of the Coppa Italia/TIM Cup soccer on January 25 & 26 at 2:30 p.m. EST. The semi-finals will air on Mediaset Italia on February 8 and March 21, with the finals following on May 8.

SERIE A LIVE 2011-2012, A companion to Mediaset Italia's live coverage of Serie A soccer, this talk show follows matches, covering match highlights, live interviews and discussion of the Italian football league.

CENTROVETRINE, twice awarded best Italian soap opera, this popular soap opera is in its tenth year on the air. Set in a fashionable shopping mall in Turin, it follows the lives of the various families who work in the mall, in an atmosphere created by passion, hard work, family ties and an intricate web of relationships.

LE IENE SHOW (Reservoir Dogs), an entertainment journalism & current affairs program presented by pair Luca and Paolo, and assisted by Ilary Blasi, known for its ironic tone and biting approach to the news. The new season begins January 27.

TG5,one of the most watched news programs in Italy.

For programming schedules and descriptions, please visit www.mediasetitalia.com.

"Mediaset Italia is very excited to have our network available on the largest cable system in the New York metropolitan area and available to one of the nation's oldest and most established Italian communities," said Patricio Teubal, Mediaset Italia head of sales. "We are eager to partner with Cablevision to provide top quality Italian programming to customers in the Tri-State area."

"We are committed to delivering valuable, relevant programming that meets the specific interests and needs of our customers, and Mediaset Italia is a strong addition to our line-up.  We continue to grow and expand iO International.  Mediaset Italia and the new iO Italian package are just the latest additions to our extensive iO International line-up," said Bradley Feldman, Cablevision's vice president, video product management.

iO Italian is available starting at $14.95 per month to residential and commercial customers with a digital cable set-top box and who subscribe to Broadcast Basic service and above.  Mediaset Italia and Rai Italia can also be purchased on an a la carte basis for an additional $9.95 each per month.  Customers interested in iO Italian can call 877-980-7636 to order or go to http://www.optimum.com/digital-cable-tv/international/ for additional information.

Cablevision's award-winning digital cable service, iO TV, offers customers access to hundreds of channels, including more than 50 premium movie channels, 46 channels of commercial-free digital music, thousands of titles available on demand at all times, an interactive programming guide, more than 120 free high-definition programming services and uniquely valuable and relevant local content through News 12, MSG Varsity and their companion interactive television applications.

About Cablevision
Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) is one of the nation's leading media and telecommunications companies.  Its cable television operations provide a full suite of advanced communications services that include iO TV® digital television, Optimum Online® high-speed Internet, and Optimum Voice® digital voice, all over state-of-the-art cable systems that pass nearly 6 million households and businesses across the New York tri-state area and throughout four Western states. Cablevision's telecommunications properties also include its Optimum WiFi® wireless Internet, and its Optimum Lightpath® integrated business communications solutions.  Cablevision serves the New York area with compelling local content through News 12 Networks, a local news leader; MSG Varsity, a suite of television and online services covering high school activities; and, Newsday Media Group, a business unit that includes Newsday, Long Island's leading daily newspaper, and amNewYork, the nation's most widely circulated free daily serving New York City.  The company also owns and operates Clearview Cinemas throughout the New York tri-state area including the famed Ziegfeld Theatre, a frequent and historic venue for film premieres and events. Additional information about Cablevision is available on the Web at www.cablevision.com.

About Mediaset Italia
Mediaset Italia is a new linear channel from Italy's leading media group, Mediaset.  Mediaset's core business is media and entertainment, boasting 19 TV channels, ranging from free to pay TV, pay-per-view and online content as well as production subsidiaries operating in television and cinema.  Mediaset Italia's programming airs a few hours/days after its original broadcasts on mainstream national TV channels in Italy (Canale 5, Italia 1 and Retequattro).  The channel is targeted to the 60 million Italians living around the world and to the people who love Italy, its culture and its beauty.  The programming schedule offers all the key primetime Mediaset programs and all the best of its general entertainment, soccer, fiction, fun, news, and soft news coming from Italy's three mainstream TV channels.

SOURCE Cablevision Systems Corporation