Optimum Lightpath Announces Three Leadership Appointments

Optimum Lightpath Announces Three Leadership Appointments

JERICHO, N.Y., March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Optimum Lightpath(SM), a leading provider of data, Internet, voice, and video transport and managed services and a division of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC) , today announced several key leadership appointments, including the promotions of Robin Silverman to Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer (CCO) and Joe Caruso to Senior Vice President, Business Planning, Intercarrier and Administration. Additionally, Optimum Lightpath announced that Tom Welsh has joined the company as Vice President of Engineering.

"We are pleased to announce the promotions of Robin Silverman and Joe Caruso. Both are valuable members of our executive management team who have contributed greatly to the success and growth of Optimum Lightpath during their tenure with the Company. Additionally, we are delighted that Tom Welsh has joined the Optimum Lightpath team as our new Vice President of Engineering," said Dave Pistacchio, Optimum Lightpath's Executive Vice President and General Manager. "These three individuals bring a vast array of expertise and leadership experience to their respective roles and I am confident that they will be instrumental in ensuring that Optimum Lightpath continues to build upon its leadership position in the industry."

In her new role as Senior Vice President and CCO for Optimum Lightpath, Ms. Silverman will be responsible for managing the key "touch points" of the customer relationship to ensure an extraordinary customer experience and to enhance the Company's award-winning customer service, which has been recognized by the New York State Public Service Commission for the past nine years.

Ms. Silverman has been an integral member of the Optimum Lightpath management team for six years. In her previous role as Vice President of Information Technology, Ms. Silverman managed all Optimum Lightpath internal systems and processes, including the successful launch of the Optimum Lightpath Customer Care Online Portal in 2007. During this time Ms. Silverman also led the Provisioning Services Group for the Company.

Mr. Caruso, as Senior Vice President of Business Planning, Intercarrier and Administration, will be responsible for carrier relations, including interconnection and related regulatory matters concerning Optimum Lightpath and other telecommunications carriers, as well as for financial reporting, business analysis, and overseeing the development of long-term business plans, budgets, and forecasts.

In his previous role as Vice President, Business Planning & Finance for Optimum Lightpath, Mr. Caruso was the senior financial executive responsible for financial reporting, business analysis, and overseeing the development of long-term business plans, budgets, and forecasts. Mr. Caruso initially joined the Cablevision new business development team in 1990 and has been with the Optimum Lightpath division since 1994.

In his role as Vice President of Engineering, Mr. Welsh will be responsible for leading the team responsible for the ongoing technology planning, architecture, and support of Optimum Lightpath's Intelligent Enterprise Network, ensuring that the network is architected to deliver highly scalable, innovative applications and managed services focused on business performance and growth requirements.

Mr. Welsh brings more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry to his new role at Optimum Lightpath, including leadership roles with Fiber Link Around the Globe (FLAG), Con Edison Communications and RCN. At FLAG, an international carrier's carrier submarine cable system, Mr. Welsh was responsible for all technical, design, program management and construction-related issues, and oversaw the overall testing and commissioning process. Following his role with FLAG, Mr. Welsh served in a corporate venture for Bell Atlantic, planning it's entry into the international Data and Voice market. Mr. Welsh then served as a member of the initial founding team of Con Edison Communications, where he architected the Company's optical network, which spanned the New York metropolitan area. Following the acquisition of Con Edison Communications by RCN, Mr. Welsh served as Vice President of Network Engineering & Technology for RCN Optical Networks. In 2002 Mr. Welsh launched RCN's Metro Ethernet network, which serves the NY metropolitan area, New England, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

About Optimum Lightpath

Optimum Lightpath, the leading provider of data, Internet, voice and video transport services and managed solutions, and a division of Cablevision Systems Corporation, uses the power of its reliable and resilient fully fiber optic network to deliver these solutions to businesses throughout the New York metropolitan area. Since its formation almost 20 years ago, Optimum Lightpath has built an advanced fiber-to-the-business-premises network extending more than 2,500 route miles throughout the tri-state area with more than 2,500 fiber lit buildings. As a result of owning and maintaining this state-of-the- art network, Optimum Lightpath is able to reliably provide scalable, high- capacity IP-based Metro Ethernet services that support high bandwidth data, Internet, voice and video applications that dramatically improve the enterprise customer's quality of experience.

Optimum Lightpath has been recognized for nine straight years by the New York State Public Service Commission for delivering highly personalized customer service superior to the competition. This year, the Company was named 2008 Frost & Sullivan North American Ethernet Service Emerging Company of the Year. In 2007 Optimum Lightpath was named Best North American Regional Service Provider of the Year by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) and named Heavy Reading's 2007 North American Ethernet Service Provider of the Year for Regional Innovation. In 2006, Optimum Lightpath was awarded the MEF's 2006 Service Provider of the Year Award for Outstanding Innovation and was also one of the first service providers in the world and the only North American MSO to earn Carrier Ethernet certification from the MEF. For more information, visit www.optimumlightpath.com.

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 high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice digital voice-over-cable, and its Optimum Lightpath integrated business communications services. Cablevision's Rainbow Media Holdings LLC operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, WE tv 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.

   Media Contacts:   Nick Rae                   Jennifer Moritz        Jim Maiella   Optimum Lightpath          Zer0 to 5ive           Cablevision   516-803-1172               for Optimum Lightpath  516-803-3947   nrae@optimumlightpath.com  917-748-4006           jmaiella@cablevision.com                              jmoritz@0to5.com  

FCMN Contact: kathleen@0to5.com

Source: Optimum Lightpath

CONTACT: Nick Rae of Optimum Lightpath, +1-516-803-1172,
nrae@optimumlightpath.com; Jennifer Moritz of Zer0 to 5ive, +1-917-748-4006,
jmoritz@0to5.com, for Optimum Lightpath; Jim Maiella of Cablevision,
+1-516-803-3947, jmaiella@cablevision.com

Web site: http://www.optimumlightpath.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment