QUICK HITS

Lightpath Gets PSC Award

JERICHO, N.Y. — Optimum Lightpath, the businesstelecom
arm of Cablevision Systems, said it has
received the New York State Public Service Commission
Commendation for Excellent Service for the
13th consecutive year. The commendation recognizes
telecommunications providers that consistently
provide the highest levels of service and quality to
customers in New York state.

The annual commission
commendation recognizes
excellent service based on
providers’ performance in
relation to service quality
standards it has established.
The criteria used to
grant a commendation for
excellent service included
an evaluation of customer
trouble report rates and are
based on the low number of consumer complaints
received by the commission.

“Optimum Lightpath does not take this recognition
for granted and continues to work constantly to
better understand and serve the needs of the broad
range of mid-market and enterprise customers that it
serves,” Lightpath president Dave Pistacchio said in
a statement. “We remain focused on delivering the
cost-effective, innovative, Ethernet-based services
that our customers need to be successful, along with
the excellent service they’ve come to expect.”

DirecTV Adds Local HD Channels

EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. — DirecTV said it will roll out
HD local channels in 16 additional
markets, beginning
this summer, including 15
areas that will receive local
HD channels from the satellite
giant for the first time.
The deal will bring DirecTV’s
local-channel access coverage
to 99% of U.S. TV homes in 190 markets by
the end of the year.

Of those 190 markets, local HD will be available
in 174 areas. The newest HD markets are: Alexandria,
La.; Jonesboro, Ark.; Billings, Mont.; Lake
Charles, La.; Chico-Redding, Calif.; Panama City.
Fla.; Elmira, N.Y.; Parkersburg, W. Va.; Great Falls,
Mont.; Quincy, Ill.; Hannibal. Mo.; Keokuk, Iowa;
Greenwood-Greenville, Miss.; St. Joseph, Mo.; Hattiesburg-
Laurel, Miss.; Utica, N.Y.; Jackson, Tenn.;
and Yuma, Ariz.

“We’re thrilled to expand our footprint by launching
HD locals in these additional markets,” DirecTV
executive vice president of content, strategy and
development Derek Chang said in a statement.
“With the expansion of our local-channel service to
more than 99% of TV homes across the country by
the end of this year, we’ll become an even stronger
competitor in these communities.”

For customers who live within each new market,
DirecTV will deliver HD programming from the primary
broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC
and The CW — where available. Eligibility for
local channels is based on address within certain
Nielsen-designated markets.

NCTC Hires Search Firm

LENEXA, KAN. — The National Cable Television Cooperative
has hired Denver executive search firm
Carlsen Resources to help it find a new CEO after
the resignation last month of Jeffrey Abbas.

Abbas resigned abruptly from the NCTC on
March 9. In the interim, NewWave Communications
executive vice president and former NCTC
chairman Tom Gleason will serve as interim CEO of
the organization.

Carlsen will work with a search committee
chaired by Eagle Communications CEO Gary Shorman
to find a permanent replacement.

Atlantic Broadband CEO and NCTC chairman Ed
Holleran has said the organization would like to
find a permanent CEO before its annual meeting
in San Francisco in July. Abbas had been with the
NCTC since 2003, and was named CEO in 2005.

“We are on the hunt for an exceptional cable
industry leader who has strong and enduring industry
relationships, an empowering and collaborative
leadership style that will engage and inspire
our members, suppliers and staff to strive for new
heights,” Shorman said.

Interested candidates should contact Carlsen
Resources.