Phoenix-Based Cable One CEO Personally Delivers Relief Aid to Mississippi Associates Devastated by Hurricane Katrina

Business Wire, Sept 19, 2005

PHOENIX -- President and CEO Thomas O. Might travels to Biloxi, Pascagoula and Gulfport/Long Beach to help with housing, health and financial matters for 177 staff members -- many of whom lost everything

The bad news for 58 associates (employees) of Phoenix-based Cable One who live and work in the Mississippi communities of Biloxi, Pascagoula and Gulfport/Long Beach is that they lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. Of the remaining 119 Cable One Gulf Coast associates, 40 sustained extensive damage to their homes and have significant losses of their possessions -- many of which are non-recoverable.

The good news is that Cable One President and CEO Thomas O. Might personally assures these associates that they still have their jobs and that they are continuing to receive their regular wages while the company redirects associates from unaffected areas to the three Gulf-area Mississippi communities to rebuild its systems.

In addition, Cable One is providing associates employed with its affected systems in the Mississippi Gulf area with special weekly "disaster pay," temporary housing, counseling through its Employee Assistance Program, and other financial assistance. To help its associates with navigating and to speed the personal property insurance claim process, Cable One is providing its associates with on-site assistance from an insurance specialist.

Cable One is the ninth largest provider of cable television in the United States. With offices in 58 communities across the United States, Cable One also provides high-speed Internet service. Its systems and facilities located in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area that serve more than 90,000 customers were severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Might's first priority was to meet associates' basic needs -- food, clothing and first aid. Might formed a Crisis Team and immediately purchased and dispatched three trailers stocked with survival supplies for Cable One associates and their families to the Mississippi Gulf Coast area. He then traveled to the Mississippi Gulf Coast communities to personally see to it that everything that could be done to recover was being done. Might has met with 133 of the 177 Gulf Coast associates individually while experiencing the lack of limited resources his staff had. He has slept in the office on an air mattress, had no electricity or air conditioning, and ate C rations.

Realizing the tremendous strain on government resources, Might also enlisted three licensed health care providers armed with medical supplies -- including hepatitis shots -- and transported them to the affected areas by private plane charter to address impacted associates' health care needs.

The parent company of Cable One, The Washington Post Co. (The Post), and Cable One associates from areas around the country unaffected by the hurricane also are taking action.

The Post has established a tax-free charitable fund, called the Community Fund, to aid impacted associates and will match all employee contributions.

"There is no way to know what the insurance companies and FEMA will be doing for the Mississippi Gulf Coast community and Cable One associates at this point, but there is a major financial burden to be met with so many displaced people needing to rebuild," said Might. "I am hoping that our Community Fund can raise significant money both inside and outside the company."

Cable One associates working in areas unaffected by Hurricane Katrina are giving their impacted co-workers clothing and other items tailored to their specific needs and requests.

Until further notice, Cable One is suspending all charges for its Gulf Coast customers including damaged or unreturned equipment.

About Cable One

Cable One, the cable division of The Washington Post Co., operates 52 cable systems serving 720,000 subscribers in 19 states. For more information about Cable One, call 602-364-6000 or visit www.cableone.net.