Light Reading Acquires Cable Digital News

The Purchase Will Expand Light Reading's Coverage of MSOs and Cable Networking Technology as Next-Generation Technology Blurs the Lines Between Service Providers

PRNewswire
NEW YORK
Jun 1, 2006

Light Reading (http://www.lightreading.com/), the world's leading online publication for the telecommunications industry, today announced that it has acquired Cable Digital News (http://www.cabledigitalnews.com/), an online publication providing news and analysis of the cable industry's evolving communications and entertainment services and infrastructure. This acquisition allows Light Reading to cover the evolution and convergence of all IP-based communications networks and services. Specifically, the acquisition expands Light Reading's coverage of MSOs and cable networking technology as next-generation technology blurs the lines between service providers.

Cable Digital News attracts a loyal readership of more than 20,000 unique visitors a month from professionals working in and around the cable/MSO industry and generates more than 100,000 page views per month. The publication also has a weekly newsletter, transmitted to 8,680 subscribers.

Beginning today, the Cable Digital News site will be integrated into the Light Reading network, including the cross-posting of stories on lightreading.com. Light Reading will also add registered cable MSO readers to the Cable Digital News newsletter to increase its circulation to more than 10,000. As a result of these activities, traffic on the Cable Digital News site is expected to more than double to approximately 250,000 page views.

As part of this expansion, Cable Digital News Founder Michael Harris and Editor Alan Breznick will both join Light Reading.

A leading cable industry analyst, Michael Harris' work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, and BusinessWeek. The FCC has used Harris' research in its reports on the broadband market. Harris is also a frequent speaker at key broadband industry events. He has presented at the NCTA annual convention, BusinessWeek Telecom Summit, Forbes Telecosm, Pulver.com's Voice on the Net (VON), and Votrex.

A broadband analyst for Kinetic Strategies and a contributing analyst for One Touch Intelligence, Alan Breznick has tracked the media, telecommunications, consumer electronics, and broadband industries for more than 20 years. Breznick has reported for Crain's New York Business, Communications Daily, Multichannel News, Cable World, and Genuine Article Press. He has also contributed to The New York Times, Washington Post, BusinessWeek, Newsday, Advertising Age, Broadcasting & Cable, Adweek, and Communications Technology.

Stephen Saunders, President of Light Reading, said: "With the Cable Digital News acquisition, Light Reading will bring its unique online publishing model to the cable industry for the first time. Our network of Websites now covers all the components of telecom and media convergence -- wireline, wireless, and cable -- to track a business and technology phenomenon which is likely to have a huge impact for years to come."

Michael Harris said: "Light Reading is the world's premier telecommunications publication with a track-record of delivering unmatched editorial analysis, multimedia content and innovative, results-driven marketing solutions. I'm very excited to be joining Light Reading and CMP. The combination will further strengthen Cable Digital News's editorial coverage, expand the publication's readership, and offer new capabilities to cable advertisers. The combination is great news for the cable industry."

  Contact:
  Amy Averbook
  Light Reading
  averbook@lightreading.com
  212-925-0020 x112
  212-925-3324 (fax)

  About Light Reading Inc.

Founded in 2000, Light Reading Inc. (http://www.lightreading.com/) is the ultimate source for technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. It reaches an extensive audience of executives and technologists within the telecom and enterprise networking communities, as well as the financial/industry analysts and investors who track these sectors. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005, and operates as a unit of CMP Technology.

About CMP Technology

CMP Technology (http://www.cmp.com/) is a marketing solutions company serving the technology industry. Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands, CMP has earned the confidence of more technology professionals than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Technology is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion.

About Cable Digital News

Founded in 1996, Cable Digital News (http://www.cabledigitalnews.com/) is a highly regarded online source for news and analysis of the cable industry. Over the last decade Cable Digital News has established a reputation for going beyond the news to provide independent and authoritative analysis of broadband technology strategies, trends, and players, delivering unmatched coverage of cable's IP infrastructure evolution for more than a decade.

SOURCE: Light Reading Inc.

CONTACT: Amy Averbook of Light Reading Inc., +1-212-925-0020, ext. 112,
fax: +1-212-925-3324, or averbook@lightreading.com

Web site: http://www.lightreading.com/
http://www.cabledigitalnews.com/
http://www.cmp.com/
http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/