More Than 50 Elected Officials at the Federal, State and Local Level Agree: ABC Disney Should Keep WABC on Cablevision While the Companies Negotiate in Good Faith to Reach a Fair Deal

BETHPAGE, N.Y., March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) today again urged ABC Disney not to pull WABC off Cablevision at midnight Saturday night, and echoed calls by more than 50 federal, state and local officials to keep the channel available to Cablevision customers while the companies work productively on a fair agreement.

Cablevision already pays ABC Disney more than $200 million per year for its extensive array of channels – more than Cablevision pays any other programmer.  Still, ABC Disney is threatening to remove its signal if it does not receive $40 million more each year from Cablevision and its customers, a 20 percent increase, for exactly the same programming.

Charles Schueler, Cablevision's executive vice president of communications, said:

"We agree with officials at the federal, state and local level that ABC Disney should not pull the plug on WABC and should instead negotiate in good faith with Cablevision to reach an agreement that is fair for our customers.  We want our customers to know that we will not pull this channel and we urge ABC Disney to make that same commitment.  We pay ABC Disney more than $200 million a year, and now is not the time to demand $40 million in new fees for the same exact channels."

Cablevision customers should urge ABC Disney not to pull their programming by calling 1-877-NO-TV-TAX, visiting http://www.cablevision.com/abc or joining its Facebook group "Cablevision Viewers Say: No New Fees, ABC!"

More than 50 elected officials at the federal, state and local level have written letters to urge that Cablevision customers not lose access to WABC, including U.S. Senator John Kerry, Congressman Eliot Engel and New Jersey State Senator Paul Sarlo.

About Cablevision

Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the nation's leading telecommunications, media and entertainment companies. In addition to its Optimum-branded cable, Internet, and voice offerings, the company owns and operates News 12 Networks, MSG Varsity and Newsday Media Group.  Cablevision's assets also include Rainbow Media Holdings LLC and its programming and entertainment businesses, AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and IFC Entertainment, as well as Clearview Cinemas.  Additional information about Cablevision is available on the Web at www.cablevision.com.

SOURCE Cablevision Systems Corporation