ST. LOUIS, Mo., and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug 29, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

VOD Service Now Available in Eight Charter Markets with Addition of Greenville, S.C.; Hickory, N.C.; Slidell, La.; & Long Beach, Calif.

Charter Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:CHTR) today announced the recent launch of video-on-demand (VOD) technology provided by DIVA(TM), a VOD solutions leader for the cable TV industry, to four new markets: Greenville, S.C., Hickory, N.C., Slidell, La. and Long Beach, Calif. In total, Charter has now deployed DIVA's VOD technology in eight markets, with service already available in the suburbs of Atlanta; Pasadena, Calif.; St. Louis and Fort Worth, Texas.

Charter recently expanded its agreement with DIVA to increase the total number of Charter customers who will be capable of receiving VOD via DIVA's software and hardware solutions to 1.7 million.

Charter is deploying the service on both Scientific Atlanta and Motorola platforms. With DIVA's technology, Charter Digital Cable(TM) customers have complete control over their viewing experience. With VCR-like capabilities, customers can stop/start/pause/rewind or fast forward recent Hollywood releases, library films and basic and premium cable programming, including a wide array of children's programming, from the comfort of their homes, without driving to and from a video rental store.

"Our early research has already shown that Charter Digital Cable customers are experiencing great value through our VOD offerings," said Steve Silva, senior vice president of corporate development & technology for Charter Communications. "Our customer tracking research in digital households clearly demonstrates that VOD technology increases Charter Digital Cable customer retention. With its integrated solutions and 'a la carte' approach to its VOD offering, DIVA makes the implementation process painless. We're especially pleased with our results to date, and proud of our industry leadership in the deployment of VOD technology."

Henk Hanselaar, president and CEO of DIVA, said today's announcement of additional rollouts in key Charter markets affirms the high level of commitment both DIVA and Charter share in delivering the best VOD solutions today. "DIVA's VOD solutions are used in 60 percent of the country's commercially deployed VOD markets, which reflects the company's momentum to deliver VOD solutions to cable operators and consumers," Hanselaar said. "We're pleased to announce this availability of our services to more markets across America, and we're also dedicated to deploying the most complete, user-friendly VOD solutions to cable operators so they can immediately realize the benefits of this technology and the ability to deliver quality content to their customers on-demand."

    About Charter

Charter Communications (Nasdaq:CHTR), a Wired World(TM) company, is among the nation's largest broadband communications companies, currently serving some 7 million customers in 40 states. Charter provides a full range of advanced broadband services to the home, including cable television on an advanced digital video programming platform marketed under the Charter Digital Cable(TM) brand; and high-speed Internet access marketed under the Charter Pipeline(TM) brand. Commercial high-speed data, video and Internet solutions are provided under the Charter Business Networks(TM) brand. Advertising sales and production services are sold under the Charter Media(TM) brand. More information about Charter can be found at www.charter.com.

    About DIVA

DIVA (www.divatv.com) is a leading video-on-demand (VOD) solutions provider to the cable television industry. DIVA's services and interoperable technology allow cable operators to deliver a complete VOD solution, including software and server platforms, billing and support services, and content management and distribution. DIVA's advanced video-on-demand solutions provide consumers with complete control over their viewing experience and, with VCR-like capabilities, they can watch new releases, library films and basic and premium cable programming, as well as children's programming. DIVA's systems are either deployed (or scheduled for deployment) in 26 markets by large-scale operators such as AT&T Broadband, Charter Communications and Insight Communications, which together reach 44 percent of all U.S. digital cable subscribers. Founded in June 1995, DIVA is a privately held company and is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif. DIVA's strategic investors include Charter Communications, NTL, OpenTV, Starz Encore, Liberate and Motorola. DIVA is a registered trademark of DIVA Systems Corporation. More information can be found at www.divatv.com.

CONTACT:          DIVA                                           
                  Julie Applebaum, 650/779-3129 
                  Director of Corporate Marketing
                  Georgeann Ikuma, 650/779-3086
                  Sr. Manager, Media and Public Relations
                  or
                  Charter Communications
                  Andy Morgan, 314/543-2217
                  Director of Communications