The first of the channels, News 12 Long Island, was launched by Cablevision on December 15, 1986, to customers on its Long Island system, as the first 24-hour regional cable news service in the United States. Over the years Cablevision expanded the reach of News 12 by adding additional networks across its footprint. The network was formerly operated by Newsday Media Holdings and presided over by Patrick Dolan, son of Newsday majority owner Charles Dolan and brother of James L. Dolan. Altice USA, who bought Cablevision in 2016, has retained Dolan as a senior network advisor. In December 2005, News 12 Networks generated criticism when it changed its website and mobile app to a pay subscription service for those who live outside the News 12 viewing area. The News 12 website is offered free of charge to subscribers of Cablevision, Charter Spectrum, Comcast, or Service Electric. This has been used as a marketing tool against customers signing up for Verizon FiOS, or satellite providers DirecTV or Dish Network, which are available in many of the areas News 12 covers. At one point Cablevision even made the network's slogan, "Only on Cable. Never on FiOS. Never on satellite.". In response, Verizon FIOS partnered with RNN to create FiOS1 News in June 2009 and later expanded to the Lower Hudson Valley in 2014, which could be viewed only by FiOS customers. Unlike News 12, FiOS1's website was not behind the paywall and was open to all users, with the exception of its live broadcast. In October 2016, newspaper reports stated News 12 was consolidating its Westchester and Connecticut News operations, moving news anchor desks and studio operations to New Jersey and Long Island, and news and production staff at these operations would be laid off. Reports indicated Westchester News Director Janine Rose was allowed to resign, and Connecticut News Director Tom Appleby was dismissed. By August 2017, the seven News 12 Network cable channels began airing Cheddar's news summaries segments. In April 2018, Altice announced that it would form a new division named Altice USA News that would consist of News 12 and I24NEWS. The division was headed by Michael Schreiber now succeeded by Jon Steinberg. Altice has departed from Cablevision's long-standing policy of ensuring that News 12 remained exclusive to cable. In July 2019, Altice began to simulcast News 12 on Atlantic City stationWACP between 6 AM and 9 AM every weekday morning. Beginning on November 4, 2019, Verizon FiOS began carrying News 12 and News 12+. At that time Verizon also shut down FiOS 1 on November 13, 2019. Verizon will also add sister networks i24News and Cheddar in early 2020.
