Altrio Communications Demonstrates New Technology for 2002 Election Project.

Business Editors & City Desks

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 2002

Altrio Communications(TM), Inc. and the Center for Governmental Studies (CGS) have joined forces in a project to use Video on Demand (VOD) technology to make voter education information available to residents in the San Gabriel Valley.

Available at no cost to Altrio's digital subscribers in the cities of Arcadia, Monrovia and Pasadena, the videos will be available through the "Elections 2002" category on the company's VOD menu. Eight separate titles are available: one for each of the candidates for the US House of Representatives District 29 seat; one for each of the three candidates for the State of California Assembly District 44; and two videos for Los Angeles County ballot measures A and B. The videos have been produced by the Pasadena Community Access Corporation and will also be cablecast on the Pasadena Community Access Channel, cable channel 56.

"The VOD project will facilitate voter education by allowing viewers to select a video at a time of their own choosing, and to revisit the tapes at any time," said Area Madaras, Executive Director of Media and Civic Participation for CGS, "and the VOD component is an exciting feature of our larger `Best Practices in Video Voter's Guides' project."

Video on Demand is a technology available on advanced telecommunications systems that transmits video to a home with features that are similar to a videocassette recorder such as fast forward, pause, and rewind. "Normally used for the sale of movies, this application of VOD technology for voter education is an innovative application that is consistent with Altrio's commitment to provide full-service community communications," said David Rozzelle, Altrio's CEO. "We are pleased to work with these project partners to demonstrate this technology and the power of choice."

Pasadena Community Access Corporation, PCAC, is a non-profit organization that provides public access television services and government access television to the Pasadena Community. The organization provides video production education and training at little or no cost to community members, while also providing television coverage of community events. PCAC programming is available on KPAS-Channel 55 and Channel 56, in the communities of Pasadena and Altadena, to homes served by Altrio Communications and Charter Communications. Pasadena Community Access Corporation -- Where neighborhood voices create community vision. Contact information: Don Repella, Executive Director, 626/795-5556, www.pasadena56.tv.

The Center for Governmental Studies creates innovative solutions to improve civic engagement in communities and government. CGS uses research, advocacy, technology and education to improve the fairness of governmental policies and processes, empower the underserved to participate more effectively in their communities, improve communication between voters and candidates for office, and help implement effective public policy reforms. The Center can be reached at 310/470-6590 or www.cgs.org.

Altrio Communications Inc. provides bundled high-speed Internet access, local and long-distance telephone service, and television and video-on-demand services via a fiber optic communications network that is being built in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Altrio currently focuses its operations in the San Gabriel Valley, and is currently offering services under franchise agreements in Arcadia, Monrovia and Pasadena with an opportunity to serve more than 84,200 households. The state-of-the-art network supports the highest levels of reliability found on any broadband network and offers residential customers an unmatched quality of service. Altrio's founders (David Rozzelle, CEO, Ted Liebst, CAO, and Dave Large, CTO) together offer over 75 years of experience in the cable television and telecommunications industry. For more information, please visit www.altrio.net.