Charter Communications hopes to close on Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks "within a few days" of the California Public Utilities Commission's expected May 12 vote, if the CPUC approves it and the FCC has given approval by then, CEO Tom Rutledge said during the company's Q1 earnings call. TWC CEO Rob Marcus, in a separate earnings call also on Thursday, said the company is "optimistic the transaction will close sometime next month."
Charter Communications hopes to close on Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks "within a few days" of the California Public Utilities Commission's expected May 12 vote, if the CPUC approves it and the FCC has given approval by then, CEO Tom Rutledge said during the company's Q1 earnings call. TWC CEO Rob Marcus, in a separate earnings call also on Thursday, said the company is "optimistic the transaction will close sometime next month."
Small multichannel video programming distributors and allies continue to press the FCC for changes to its totality of circumstances test, while NAB continues to push back, according to a series of ex parte filings Tuesday in docket 15-216. One pay-TV industry official told us Wednesday the uptick in activity in the docket shows the issue is being discussed by the agency. But eighth-floor action probably isn't imminent, though the agency is likely to do something before year's end, the official said.
That Comcast would have fared better in its failed attempt to buy Time Warner Cable if it had taken an approach like Charter Communications is unlikely, industry experts tell us. Since Comcast/TWC would have created a company with incentive for stifling competition, "the best path was still denial instead of specific conditions," said John Bergmayer, Public Knowledge senior staff attorney. The FCC and Justice Department Monday made public potential conditions on Charter's purchases of Bright House Networks and TWC (see 1604250039).
That Comcast would have fared better in its failed attempt to buy Time Warner Cable if it had taken an approach like Charter Communications is unlikely, industry experts tell us. Since Comcast/TWC would have created a company with incentive for stifling competition, "the best path was still denial instead of specific conditions," said John Bergmayer, Public Knowledge senior staff attorney. The FCC and Justice Department Monday made public potential conditions on Charter's purchases of Bright House Networks and TWC (see 1604250039).
The FCC is considering requiring New Charter to stick to its pledge not to charge for interconnection, along with other conditions from the commission and DOJ that would bolster online video. A draft order also would expand its high-speed broadband footprint by 2 million customer locations as a condition of Charter Communications being allowed to buy Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, the agency said Monday. In a statement, Chairman Tom Wheeler said an order is circulating on the eighth floor that contains some seven-year commitments by the cable company. That follows proposed Justice Department conditions that agency announced Monday as terms of a lawsuit it also filed Monday that would bar New Charter from any contractual alternative distribution method (ADM) limits on online video distributors.
The FCC is considering requiring New Charter to stick to its pledge not to charge for interconnection, along with other conditions from the commission and DOJ that would bolster online video. A draft order also would expand its high-speed broadband footprint by 2 million customer locations as a condition of Charter Communications being allowed to buy Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, the agency said Monday. In a statement, Chairman Tom Wheeler said an order is circulating on the eighth floor that contains some seven-year commitments by the cable company. That follows proposed Justice Department conditions that agency announced Monday as terms of a lawsuit it also filed Monday that would bar New Charter from any contractual alternative distribution method (ADM) limits on online video distributors.
Ligado expects to hear feedback from the weather community seeking FCC protection from interference in the spectrum used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and support from the wireless industry for its terrestrial LTE plans, but not as much from major GPS companies. That is now that the FCC has opened the door to comments on its proposed modifications to those LTE plans, one company representative told us Monday. Whether the pair of public notices issued Friday lead to the FCC's taking action this year is impossible to say, the representative said.
The FCC Media Bureau has put together a draft order that would let the National Cable TV Cooperative (NCTC) file complaints, American Cable Association President Matt Polka told us Monday as the FCC hosted the second of two workshops on the state of the video market. ACA had sought such an order (see 1507020018) to help small multichannel video programming distributors gain some leverage in negotiations with major programmers. The workshops, plus the FCC's now-closed notice of inquiry into the challenges for independent and diverse programmers, could help push the agency on such issues before it as a buying group rule change and its current NPRM looking at changes to retransmission consent rules, Polka said. The FCC didn't comment.
The FCC Media Bureau has put together a draft order that would let the National Cable TV Cooperative (NCTC) file complaints, American Cable Association President Matt Polka told us Monday as the FCC hosted the second of two workshops on the state of the video market. ACA had sought such an order (see 1507020018) to help small multichannel video programming distributors gain some leverage in negotiations with major programmers. The workshops, plus the FCC's now-closed notice of inquiry into the challenges for independent and diverse programmers, could help push the agency on such issues before it as a buying group rule change and its current NPRM looking at changes to retransmission consent rules, Polka said. The FCC didn't comment.