New York kicks Spectrum cable out of state for 'failures to serve New Yorkers'

[mvcg66b3r]

New York announced Friday that Charter Communications, Inc., doing business as Spectrum, is no longer permitted to serve customers in the state.

Regulators said the Spectrum, the largest cable provider in New York, failed to comply with several conditions mandated when the state approved Charter's 2016 merger with Time Warner Cable, Inc.

Spectrum reportedly failed to meet deadlines, attempted to skirt obligations to serve rural communities and used unsafe practices in the field.

As a result, the New York State Public Service Commission revoked the approval of the merger.

"Charter's repeated failures to serve New Yorkers and honor its commitments are well documented and are only getting worse," Commission Chair John Rhodes said. "Charter's non-compliance and brazenly disrespectful behavior toward New York State and its customers necessitate the actions taken today seeking court-ordered penalties for its failures, and revoking the Charter merger approval,"

Spectrum provides cable, internet and telephone services to more than 2 million New York subscribers in Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens and parts of Brooklyn, as well as other major metropolitan areas like Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany.

The cable provider is required to continue operations for 60 more days without interruptions in service, as the state transitions to a successor provider.

The state is also seeking $3 million in penalties from Charter, officials said.

http://abc7ny.com/business/ny-kicks-spectrum-cable-out-of-state-revokes-merger-approval/3834286/

 

[Will_H_69_9]

what cable company is big enough of a name to take over Charter's operations in that state.

 

[ftballfan]

what cable company is big enough of a name to take over Charter's operations in that state.

Would Comcast be interested? Oddly, they don't have much of a presence in New York State. It would work nice if Comcast were to unload some of their systems elsewhere in the country to Spectrum (Manitowoc, WI (Comcast's only system in Wisconsin AFAIK) and most of Comcast's Michigan systems are all but surrounded by Spectrum)

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Would Comcast be interested? Oddly, they don't have much of a presence in New York State. It would work nice if Comcast were to unload some of their systems elsewhere in the country to Spectrum (Manitowoc, WI (Comcast's only system in Wisconsin AFAIK) and most of Comcast's Michigan systems are all but surrounded by Spectrum)

And same in downstate Illinois outside of the Chicago area--specifically the current-Comcast systems that were acquired from Insight Jan. 1, 2008 (including systems in Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, Champaign, Quincy, etc.).

 

[nomadcowatbk]

what cable company is big enough of a name to take over Charter's operations in that state.

Optimum, they serve the parts of NYC Spectrum won't anymore

 

[TheBigA]

Optimum, they serve the parts of NYC Spectrum won't anymore

Of course taking over Charter/Spectrum would be a reunion for them, since Optimum sold that area of coverage to Spectrum a few years ago.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

could NYC take over those systems if NY law allows municipal broadband?

 

[TheBigA]

could NYC take over those systems if NY law allows municipal broadband?

I expect there will be competitive bidding for the contract? It's been so long since anything like this has happened.

But Cablevision, which runs Optimum, was there when cable began. So they'd probably be interested. Depends on the deal.

 

[zeebre12]

This doesn't bode well for Charter as they are going into original programming for their cable subscribes. If they have lost New York it's surely a massive chunk.

 

[Megatron]

Would Comcast be interested? Oddly, they don't have much of a presence in New York State. It would work nice if Comcast were to unload some of their systems elsewhere in the country to Spectrum (Manitowoc, WI (Comcast's only system in Wisconsin AFAIK) and most of Comcast's Michigan systems are all but surrounded by Spectrum)

Kalamazoo is Charter Spectrum but there is a small part in older neighborhoods where Comcast is in along with Charter Spectrum heck where I live the trailer park that is close to where I live has Comcast no Charter Spectrum. I think New York State overstepped in kicking Charter out which I'm sure Charter will be appealing and hope they win and just get a fine just my opinion. Altice what use to be Suckyvison oh I mean Cablevision will take over what is Charter Spectrum.

 

[umfan]

I doubt much of anything happens. They cannot compel Spectrum to sell their infrastructure and Spectrum can say, 'Fine, we'll pull the plug right now' which would result in tens of thousands of customers angrily calling the Commission demanding their cable be restored. I think this is posturing and it will lead to some sort of 'settlement' with nothing much changing.