Patriot Media Named 'Independent Cable Operator of the Year'

Patriot Media Chosen Number One in the US

Somerset -Patriot Media has been named the 2006 Independent Cable Operator of the Year by CableWORLD magazine in partnership with the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) and the American Cable Association (ACA). This national cable-industry award annually recognizes outstanding achievement in the areas of technology, operations and community involvement. Patriot Media will be featured in the July 31st issue of CableWORLD, and the award will be formally presented to Steve Simmons, Patriot Media's CEO, at The Independent Show on August 1, in Chicago, Illinois.

CableWORLD is the most widely-circulated publication of broadband and cable technology news in the US, covering programming, operations and trends shaping this high-tech industry. CableWORLD evaluated this year's nominees based on their technological advancements, service quality, outstanding customer service, financial stability and community outreach. Based on these criteria, Patriot Media was chosen as the recipient of the national "Independent Cable Operator of the Year" award.

Patriot Media assumed ownership of RCN's central New Jersey system just over three years ago, and now its' accomplishments during that short timeframe are being recognized nationally with this award. As an independent cable operator, Patriot Media has had to work hard to build a brand that offers state of the art services to the 118,000 households in its central New Jersey service area. Since 2003, Patriot Media has upgraded its network system and introduced an improved high-speed internet service with speeds up to 12Mbps/1Mbps, digital phone, added over 90 cable channels including 22 channels of high definition television, video-on-demand programming and personal video recorders.

Steve Simmons, Patriot Media's CEO, stated, "When assuming ownership of the system three years ago, it was clear that strong leadership was necessary to oversee the major initiatives that would drive our growth and success. Jim Holanda, President of Patriot Media, along with his management team and all of our employees, have succeeded in building a company with superior services, 24/7 customer service and good will in the community. This award reflects the respect and recognition that Patriot Media enjoys within our industry."

Patriot Media has a deep-rooted local presence, participating in numerous neighborhood events and partnering with non-profit organizations throughout the area. Jim Holanda stated, "Our offices are situated in the heart of Somerset County and our employees live and work locally, so we have a genuine interest in the community. Our highly trained customer service staff works 24/7 to ensure that our customers' experiences with high-speed internet, digital phone and cable TV are positive ones. The Independent Cable Operator of the Year award is a milestone for us, but we won't rest on this achievement alone. We'll continue to emphasize the importance of outstanding customer service and the demand for new and innovative services and technology. Until each customer is entirely pleased, our job is not yet done."