The Challenge - Cablevision's Award-Winning High School Quiz Show - Expands Reach Across Company's Entire Service Area for 11th Season

BETHPAGE, N.Y., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cablevision Systems Corp. announced today that The Challenge, its award-winning high school quiz show, will expand in the upcoming season to include schools and students from across all of the regions that make up the company's service area. For the first time in its 11-year history, The Challenge includes schools and students from Westchester/Hudson Valley region and The Bronx and Brooklyn, in addition to Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

More than 150 tri-state area high schools are set to compete in the upcoming season of The Challenge. Teams are typically made up of students who are at the top of their class -- all-star scholars who vie for the championship based on their knowledge of history, arts and literature, math and science. Viewers can play along and watch The Challenge on News 12 every Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm beginning on November 10, 2007 and anytime through the convenience of video on demand (VOD) through News 12 Interactive, located on iO TV channel 612.

"The expansion of The Challenge across Cablevision's service area underscores the popularity of this unique competition, where academic all- stars take center stage. Cablevision, through Power to Learn, is committed to the development and learning of students in the tri-state area, and The Challenge gives us the opportunity to do so in a fun and engaging way," said Cablevision's Vice President of Education, Trent Anderson. "We are pleased to give students across our service area the opportunity to participate locally in The Challenge, and to go on to compete in the Tri-State Challenge Championship. We wish all the participating students the best of luck for the 2007-2008 season."

Schools vie each week to continue on in the competition, which results in the best teams from each region facing off against each other next spring to crown regional champions and the ultimate winner, the Challenge Champion. The winning team in each region will receive $2,500 and will go on to compete for $10,000 in the Championship. Each student participating in the Championship match will receive $500.

The Challenge is the brainchild of Cablevision founder and Chairman, Charles F. Dolan, and is an important element of Cablevision's education initiative, Power to Learn -- the company's ongoing commitment to the development and learning of students in the tri-state area. Earlier this year, the show received a Beacon Award -- the industry's highest award for public-affairs excellence, as well as a New England Cable & Telecommunications (NECTA) Award for Public Service and Excellence in Cable Television.

The Challenge began 11 years ago as a Long Island effort, and expanded two years ago to include students and schools from New Jersey. Last year, the competition expanded to Connecticut and featured more than 400 students from 87 schools. Last season's Tri-State Challenge Championship winner was Bergen County Academies from Hackensack, New Jersey.

"Winning the Tri-State Challenge Championship was an amazing victory for Bergen County Academies. Getting the opportunity to compete in The Challenge was a huge point of pride for our school, and it allowed our students to apply what they had learned in the classroom in a fun and competitive environment," said Bergen County Academies team advisor, Evelyn Rios. "Participating in The Challenge was the highlight of our school year. The students, their families and everyone at Bergen County Academies are extremely proud of this accomplishment, and we look forward to defending our title this upcoming season."

The Challenge is moderated by popular News 12 Anchors from each region -- Scott Feldman on Long Island, Tom Appleby in Connecticut, Bryan Jenkins in New Jersey, Heather McBride in The Bronx and Brooklyn, and Brian Conybeare in Westchester/Hudson Valley. The first round of competition will be filmed at a New York City studio facility in late October. With this year's further expansion to Westchester/Hudson Valley and The Bronx and Brooklyn, more than 750 students from more than 150 schools will vie for the championship.

More information on The Challenge, including standings, statistics and short contestant bios, will be available on http://www.powertolearn.com/ as the tournament progresses.

The Challenge is presented by Cablevision's Power to Learn and Cablevision's News 12.

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: Interactive Optimum(R) digital television, Optimum Online(R) high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice(R) digital voice-over-cable, and its Optimum LightpathSM integrated business communications services. Cablevision's Rainbow Media Holdings LLC operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, WE 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. Additional information about Cablevision Systems Corporation is available on the Web at http://www.cablevision.com/.