NY1

Before I start I'll explain my setup. I have a regular non-HDTV set it has a Scientific Atlantic: Explorer 1850 cable box with remote. This box is not the most advanced and limits the amount of channels I can get because it is not capable of interactivity. There are certain video game, house buying, and other channels that are blocked because they are too advanced.
Cablevision is the cable company under the name of Optimum and I have the iO Gold package. This package includes nearly all of their alleged 385 channels for a final price of about $105 (it changes all the time and I'm always late paying). I think it's a bargain since the internet access is great. Plus they just started a Wi-Fi access point in the neighborhood.

NY1

Channel # 1 on the box.
This is a 24-hour local news channel. Unlike CNN or the others this station tones down the hype and pundit speculating and just report the news. They do lots of local stories, obviously, and many interviews of residents. The slant is very much towards New York residents meaning officials, businesses, and the authority can seem a bit cold and uncaring. Still they are very fair with their handling of important stories.

History
Started in 1991 it uses the "half-hour news wheel" format and relies heavily on digital video technology. Currently located in the Chelsea Market building it took over the studio seen in Oz.

Highlights
NY1 Minute - A 60 second rundown of the top stories and upcoming segments every half hour.

Weather on the Ones - Every ten minutes from the ones of the hour (:01, :11, ..., :51) the devote a few seconds to give the 24 hour and 7 day forecast. It's very accurate and one of the best around.

In The Papers - Done every morning the anchor grabs about 6 or 7 local papers and goes through the stories he/she finds interesting. Most are headline stories and occasionally odd news, here the anchor is quick to give their opinion of the value of each print story.

In Transit - A 15 minute segment every weekend that tells us the status of the public transit system. Half of it consist of what train or bus lines is not working.

On Stage - An hour weekend show highlight the latest in theater news. Interviews with celebrities are great since they always stick to the art of acting and whatever play they are in.

The World Beyond New York - This segment reminds New Yorkers that news exist outside NY. State news, national news, and international news is rounded up for a minute long rundown, just enough to keep us watching before we yawn.

Other things that make this one of my favorite channels is that they follow up. Often you here of some person getting into an accident or keeping a tiger and two alligators in their apartment and after the "incident" nothing else is known. NY1 will keep following up for years.
Also during events they have insight to shut up. During a news conference they just let the entire thing play out and wait until it is over to talk. For New Year's celebrations or other holiday events they stay quiet during the high points even if you just hear crowd noise.
Since they are a 24-hour local station they also have the privilege of allowing a breaking story or council meeting to play completely through. Sure at time it's dull but you see the entire thing uninterrupted and without the clipping that often brings about media bias.
No running crawl at the bottom of the screen unless it's an emergency like blizzards, steam pipe explosions, strikes, etc.

Advertising
Most of the commercials are local, lots of public health ads. The best is no pop-up ads during the shows or news. Any sponsored segments are mentioned up front.