Cablevision Systems Corporation Names Tom Rutledge Chief Operating Officer; John Bickham Appointed President, Cable & Communications.

Entertainment Editors/Business Editors

BETHPAGE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 26, 2004

Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) President and CEO James L. Dolan today announced the appointment of Tom Rutledge to the newly created position of chief operating officer, effective immediately. In addition, Mr. Rutledge announced that John Bickham will succeed him as Cablevision's president of Cable & Communications, also effective immediately.

In his new position, Mr. Rutledge, 50, will be responsible for overseeing Cable & Communications, Cablevision's consumer products and services division; Lightpath, the company's business services division; and, certain Cablevision corporate functions. Mr. Rutledge will also oversee the Rainbow Media assets that will remain with the company following the spin-off of Rainbow DBS and Rainbow Media's three national movie networks later this year. The current Rainbow Media entities that will be part of the new Cablevision include: fuse, News 12 Networks, MetroChannels, Rainbow's regional sports networks and Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation (RASCO).

With this appointment, Mr. Rutledge will also become an executive officer of the corporation. Mr. Rutledge will report to James L. Dolan, Cablevision's president and CEO.

Mr. Dolan commented: "Tom has achieved enormous success at Cablevision, leading our Cable & Communications division during a period of remarkable growth. He is the ideal executive to provide the strong operational leadership necessary to ensure that the new Cablevision realizes its full potential -- for our employees, customers, and investors."

Mr. Dolan added: "Tom and John have vast experience in the cable industry and have both established compelling records of success. These appointments solidify a management team that is well-qualified to lead Cablevision into a new chapter in the company's pioneering history and to seize the boundless opportunities that lay ahead."

John Bickham, 54, as the new president of Cable & Communications, will be the primary executive responsible for the consumer telecommunications services available across Cablevision's entire service area of 4.4 million homes, including traditional cable, iO: Interactive Optimum digital cable, Optimum Online high-speed Internet, and Optimum Voice, the nation's first widely-deployed digital voice-over-cable service. Mr. Bickham will also oversee the company's sales, marketing, field and customer service operations, and will report to Mr. Rutledge.

Mr. Rutledge commented: "John joins Cablevision during a period of tremendous opportunity as we continue to realize the potential of one of the most advanced telecommunications networks in the world and to provide our customers the industry-leading services they have come to expect from Cablevision. Having known John for more than 10 years, I can think of no one more suited to lead the operations of our important Cable & Communications division. He is a seasoned executive whose experience will be essential to our continued success."

Mr. Bickham commented: "I am very happy to be joining a company with such a long history of innovation and operational leadership, and to again be working directly with my former colleague, Tom Rutledge. Cablevision really represents the type of cable business that the rest of the industry would like to have - a fully-upgraded network that is already supporting three highly-reliable and valuable services to consumers, located in the nation's most desirable market."

Tom Rutledge - A Track Record of Success

Since joining Cablevision in January 2002, Mr. Rutledge has overseen the exponential growth of the company's iO digital cable service from a few thousand customers to more than one million; a more than doubling of Optimum Online high-speed Internet customers to 1.1 million; and the nation's first wide-scale deployment of a digital voice-over-cable service, Optimum Voice. During Mr. Rutledge's tenure, Cablevision has added 1.4 million revenue-generating units, and increased average monthly consumer revenue per basic video customer by nearly 30%, from $59.48 to $76.74.

A 25-year cable and telecommunications industry veteran, Mr. Rutledge previously served as president of Time Warner Cable. Prior to his role as president, Mr. Rutledge served as senior executive vice president, spearheading the launch and development of a number of Time Warner Cable's broadband consumer products, including: digital cable, high-speed Internet, video-on-demand, and switched and IP Telephony services.

Mr. Rutledge began his industry career in 1977 at American Television and Communications (ATC), a predecessor company of Time Warner Cable, starting as a manager trainee after graduating from college. Mr. Rutledge held a number of positions in addition to president of the company's Austin, Texas and Portland, Maine divisions.

Mr. Rutledge currently serves on the board of the NCTA, CableLabs and the CTAM Educational Foundation. He received his bachelor of administration in economics from California University in California, Pa. in 1977. In 1995, he also attended Harvard's advanced management program.

John Bickham - Strong Operational Leadership

An 18-year veteran of the cable industry, Mr. Bickham most recently served as executive vice president for Time Warner Cable, where he was responsible for overseeing cable operations serving 2.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. From 1995 through 1998, he operated Time Warner Cable's Los Angeles cable system.

In 1988, Mr. Bickham was a founding executive vice president of KBLCOM, a cable operator with approximately 700,000 customers in systems in Los Angeles, Portland, Minneapolis and San Antonio. KBLCOM also served nearly one million additional customers in a variety of other markets through an equal partnership with Time Warner Cable. Mr. Bickham's tenure with KBLCOM lasted until 1995, during which he served in several capacities, including regional president in Los Angeles, executive vice president of operations and then president and COO. In 1986, Mr. Bickham began his career in cable as vice president of engineering for Paragon Communications, a joint venture between KBLCOM Inc. and ATC. Mr. Bickham received his bachelor of electrical engineering from Texas A&I University.

Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the nation's leading entertainment, media and telecommunications companies. In addition to its broadband, cable, satellite, Internet and telephone offerings, the company owns and operates Rainbow Media Holdings LLC and its networks; Madison Square Garden and its teams; and Clearview Cinemas. In addition, Cablevision operates New York's famed Radio City Music Hall. Additional information about Cablevision Systems Corporation is available on the Web at www.cablevision.com.

This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including financial community and rating agency perceptions of the company and its business, operations, financial condition and the industry in which it operates and the factors described in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contained therein. The company disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein.