The Wiz, the leading consumer electronics retailer in the New York metropolitan area owned and operated by Cablevision Systems Corporation held a grand opening ceremony of its 42nd store, and eighth on Long Island, located at 401 South Oyster Bay Road in Plainview last week.

The store's 25,000 square feet of sales space features a new design that allows customers to interact with the latest available technology. The store also unveiled The Wiz/Cablevision retail store of the future by showcasing the portfolio of entertainment and telecommunications services offered through Cablevision's companies, which customers can access while shopping at The Wiz.

The grand opening celebration, which kicked off on Nov. 16, and continued through Nov. 26, featured appearances and autograph signings with popular New York sports figures including Keith Hernandez, Boomer Esiason, Timo Perez, and Joe McEwing. The grand opening also included promotions, prizes and giveaways sponsored by The Wiz, Cablevision, vendors and local radio stations.

"We are very proud of this newest The Wiz store, which is designed in our most exciting format to date," said Norman Goldberg, chief operating officer of The Wiz. "This design merges a more residential feel with the very latest in digital technology and truly showcases the synergies that exist between The Wiz and Cablevision. Our goals were to help customers feel more comfortable with the latest technology so they can envision it in their own homes, and to offer our customers the convenience of one-shop-shopping for all their entertainment needs through Cablevision's array of entertainment properties and services."

The store's focal point is a 20 foot wide by seven and a half foot high video wall that runs programming about the entertainment properties and services under the Cablevision umbrella, including Madison Square Garden; Radio City Music Hall; Cablevision's sports teams that include the Knicks and the Rangers; and, the company's national television networks. Other screens throughout the store inform customers of promotions and special events at The Wiz and the other Cablevision properties. This store created over 70 new jobs for local residents.

There is also a new design concept being tested at The Wiz in Plainview: The Wiz Kids Corner. This room was specially designed to meet the electronic and entertainment needs of children and their parents and features toys, music and movies for children 12 and under and their parents.

The new Plainview location also offers customers the convenience of using the Cablevision customer service counter. As a division of Cablevision, The Wiz offers customers the convenience of paying their cable bill or signing up for additional services, including Optimum Online, Cablevision's high-speed Internet service, at the store.

The Wiz/Cablevision's Power to Learn Program and Compaq donated six Compaq Presario computer systems to Plainview's Howard B. Mattlin Middle School and also donated $1,000 to the Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School Marching Band.

The new Plainview store is led by Marc Eisenberg, regional vice president - store operations with nearly 20 years of retail store management experience. His management team includes Ed O'Neill, general manager; Ritchie Glorioso, regional sales manager; Ali Mir and Mike Nicki, sales managers; Mark Leader, merchandise manager; Rich Lescouflair, operations manager; Ken Sambolin, OOL manager. For further information and hours, call the store at 992-5606 or the customer service number at (800) 253-0186