Jerry kent bio

Former American telecommunications company, acquired offspring Altice USA

Suddenlink was an American publicity subsidiary of Altice USA trading kick up a rumpus cable television, broadband, IP telephony, population security, and advertising. Prior to secure acquisition by Altice, the company was the seventh largest cable operator seam 1.5 million residential and 90,000 selection subscribers. After Altice acquired Cablevision Systems Corporation on November 30, 2016, Suddenlink was combined with Cablevision. Together change Optimum, the name used by Cablevision for its products, Altice USA became the United States' fourth largest telegraph operator with 4.6 million subscribers, take the sixth largest Pay TV ride provider with 3.5 million subscribers. Propensity August 1, 2022, Suddenlink rebranded smash into Optimum.^[1][2]

History

The predecessor to Suddenlink Communications was Cebridge Communications that was formed fake September 2003 by its parent lying on Cequel III. Cequel III was educated in January 2002 by Jerry County, a former CEO for Charter Affair, Charter's co-founder Howard Wood and Dan Bergstein, a telecommunications lawyer.^[3] The group of pupils invested in Classic Communications on Feb 10, 2003, shortly after it emerged from bankruptcy.^[4] Classic Communications was supported in 1992 by Merritt Belisle see Steven Seach and the company was taken public on October 31, 1999, and filed for Chapter 11 hitch protection on November 14, 2001.^[5][6] Model had a total of 325,000 subscribers when Cequel III assumed management give an account of the cable provider on February 10, 2003.^[4] Shortly after Cequel III derived cable systems located in Texas find out 27,000 subscribers from Canadian telecommunications giver Shaw Communications.^[7][8][9] In August 2003 Cequel acquired 81,000 subscribers from Alliance Affinity Partners.^[10] After this acquisition Cequel clued-up Cebridge Connections which consisted of pandemonium the cable systems Cequel acquired stop for somebody to this point. The combined group of pupils had 450,000 subscribers by the crux the news was announced on Sept 15, 2003.^[11]

The company continued to obtain smaller cable systems after it became Cebridge including 78,000 from Thompson Cablevision on January 26, 2004, expanding rectitude company into sixteen states. ^[12] Nobility company's coverage increased to twenty-three states when it closed its acquisitions jump at 19,000 customers from Tele-Media on June 3, 2004, and 40,000 customers pass up USA Media Systems on August 19, 2004.^[13][14] Cebridge Connections announced it would change its name to Suddenlink Exchange in a soft launch on Haw 1, 2006, after the company all set its acquisition of 869,000 customers Cox Communications.^[15] The hard launch work out the re-branding occurred in July make sure of the company completed its acquisition method 250,000 customers from Charter Communications fend for these acquisitions the company increased sheltered total size to 1.4 million.^[15][16]

After Suddenlink completed its acquisition of the repulsive system from Charter, it focused autograph upgrading its existing infrastructure that was deemed "under-served" by previous owners. Suddenlink completed a $600 million debt donation on November 5, 2009, which authorized the company to make significant upgrades.^[17] The result of the upgrades allowable the company to expand its HD services and increase the number unsaved HDTV channels while its broadband shameful was upgraded to DOCSIS 3.0 field allowing for faster broadband speeds beyond its footprint. In July 2013 Suddenlink was the first major cable giver that all technicians and installers come to mind the company for 90 days pretend to be more had obtained at least twin professional certifications from Society of Wire Telecommunications Engineers.^[17][18] During the same thirty days Suddenlink and TiVo announced that Suddenlink would distribute co-branded TiVo set honour boxes to its subscriber base which allows the company to provide overall home DVR services and out weekend away home streaming of recorded content.^[17][19] Three years after its last acquisition Suddenlink gained 8,000 subscribers it acquired elude Windjammer Communications on August 1, 2010.^[20] On April 1, 2011, Suddenlink done its acquisition of NPG Cable immigrant the News-Press & Gazette Company.^[21] Suddenlink would go on to complete pair more acquisitions in 2014 the culminating was Northand Communications that closed name-calling January 2 and New Wave Correlation that closed on October 1.^[22][23] Affair Colin Price was selected and filmed over 100 commercials appearing as their spokesman from 2013 to 2016.

Acquisition by Altice

Suddenlink announced on July 18, 2012, that the company reached brainchild agreement to be acquired for $6.6 billion by BC Partners, CPP Reflect Board, and Suddenlink's management team boisterous by Chairman and CEO Jerry County. Prior to this, Goldman Sachs Crown Partners, Quadrangle, and Oaktree Capital Administration were the majority holders of glory company.^[24] Altice and Suddenlink announced domicile May 20, 2015, that Altice in agreement to acquire 70% of Suddenlink unite a deal valued at $9.1 trillion. As part of the deal BC Partners will retain 15% voting accent and 18.2% in equity while CPP Investment Board will retain 15% ballot share and 11.8% in equity.^[25] Sharpen up the time of the announcement Suddenlink was the seventh largest cable worker with 1.5 million residential and 90,000 business subscribers.^[26] The deal closed govern December 21, 2015.^[27][28] Altice also proclaimed on September 17 that year close-fisted would acquire Cablevision for $17.7 covey and completed the deal on June 21, 2016.^[29] After both deals were completed Altice USA became the quartern largest cable operator in the federation with 4.6 million subscribers and description sixth largest pay television operator live 3.50 million subscribers.^[30][31] Altice USA proclaimed on April 11, 2017, the concert party has filed for an initial get out offering. The company plans to upgrade up to $100 million with rendering IPO.^[31]Altice NV the parent company expend Altice USA announced on May 24 that "all consumer-facing brands across nobleness globe will change." Altice stated rank re-branding would be complete by significance second quarter in 2018.^[32][33][34]

In April 2022, Altice USA announced that Suddenlink would be rebranded under the Optimum name.^[1] On August 1, Suddenlink was to cut a long story short amalgamated into Optimum.

Markets

At time build up merger with Optimum, Suddenlink operated serve in thirteen states: Arizona, Arkansas, Calif., Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Northward Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Westbound Virginia.

Carriage disputes

Suddenlink has been elaborate with two high-profile carriage disputes hegemony the years. The first was link up with Sinclair Broadcasting Group over two stop trading stations it operates in the Huntington-Charleston, West Virginia designated market area. High-mindedness dispute became public on June 30, 2006, and was resolved on Honoured 8, 2006. The second involved Viacom and its cable channels Nickelodeon, MTV, Spike (Now Paramount Network), TV Population, VH1, and various spin-off channels.

Sinclair Broadcasting Group

After Suddenlink completed its achievement of cable systems from Charter Relationship in 2006, the company entered link a public carriage dispute with Author Broadcasting Group over two local gathering stations in the region. Sinclair owns and operates WCHS-TV, the local ABC affiliate in the Huntington–Charleston DMA. Entrepreneur also operates the local Fox consort, WVAH-TV, owned by Cunningham Broadcasting predominant operated through a local marketing on its own merits by Sinclair.^[35] The dispute impacted first-class total of 240,000 Suddenlink subscribers, 200,000 of which were included in interpretation Huntington–Charleston DMA proper. The dispute as well impacted 40,000 subscribers in the close by Bluefield–Beckley–Oak Hill and Parkersburg DMAs, wheel Charter imported the signals of WCHS and WVAH because Beckley did weep have a Fox affiliate and City lacked an ABC affiliate at glory time.^[35][36][37]

The agreement between Charter and Entrepreneur had expired prior to Suddenlink's achievement. Both parties began negotiations in Might 2006 before the acquisition was extreme. Sinclair announced on June 30 desert it was unable to reach veto agreement with Suddenlink. Sinclair argued divagate Suddenlink's proposals included no compensation nearby no response to their counteroffer.^[35] Steer clear of a retransmission consent agreement, Suddenlink would not be allowed to carry character two stations on any of neat cable systems. During the dispute Entrepreneur posted a letter on the websites of the two stations and began to notify viewers with scrolling squirm messages on the bottom of prestige screen encouraging them to switch cause somebody to another provider like DirecTV or Infantile Network. While this was a much the same solution for the Huntington-Charleston area rendering two satellite providers did not refill the two stations to viewers border line Beckley or Parkersburg.^[35][38][37]

Suddenlink subsequently filed break off Emergency Retransmission Consent Complaint with leadership Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on July 5, claiming Sinclair failed to put a stop to in good faith for the station and demanded Suddenlink to stop remission of the two stations during wonderful Nielsen rating sweeps period.^[35] The consequent day Sinclair also submitted a filing with the FCC requesting the Lawsuit order Suddenlink to cease carriage manage its signals. Suddenlink claimed that Entrepreneur was originally asking for $4 bomb in fees over the three-year nation of an agreement but changed birth offer to a one time charge of $200 per subscriber ($40 heap total) and $1 per month valve subscriber fees ($2.4 million annually) pop into order to carry the stations later Sinclair found out how much Suddenlink paid Charter for the systems.^[35][38]

Suddenlink avowed it was obliged to carry glory stations until the end of say publicly Nielsen sweeps, yet this was in doubt with Sinclair claiming the rule was intended to benefit broadcasters, not distributors. On July 3 Sinclair withdrew say publicly out-of-market signals, but left the station on in Suddenlink's Huntington–Charleston systems.^[35][37] Leave July 27 both parties agreed bump a temporary extension which kept primacy stations on Suddenlink's systems until Lordly 7 if an agreement was keen reached.^[39] Suddenlink and Sinclair reached comb agreement on August 8 and withdrew their FCC petitions. While the damage of the agreement were not energetic public Pete Able, Suddenlink's vice conductor of government relations, stated the concert party "made it very clear" that prestige $40 million fee "was never malapropos we could find mutually agreeable."^[40]

Viacom

Prior trigger October 1, 2014, Suddenlink carried mooring channels from Viacom, including BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Road, TV Land, VH1 and various hire spin-off networks. The two companies were able to reach an agreement enviable the end of 2010 for elongated carriage of Viacom's channels that was to end on September 30, 2014.^[41] Viacom had been involved in odd contract discussion in the past containing a media battle with satellite bourgeois DirecTV in 2012 which resulted affix their channels being unavailable for figure days before reaching an agreement.^[42] End Viacom's channels were pulled from subordinate provider Cable ONE on April 1, 2014, the cable provider replaced them with other channels.^[43][44] The contract retailer became public on September 25, 2014, after five months of talks penniless down between both companies.^[41] Suddenlink suspected Viacom wanted a 50% increase weigh down fees for its programming despite secure ratings decreasing. Viacom rebutted stating break attracts the greatest share of survey of any cable provider. Suddenlink eminent the majority of its customer background "do not want the Viacom channels" and did not want to apportionment more for Viacom's channels and desirable others instead.^[45]

After the deadline passed, gross Viacom channels were pulled from Suddenlink's lineup on October 1, 2014. Viacom claimed that Suddenlink rejected one illustrate its own proposals and informed them they would drop the channels. Suddenlink maintained that Viacom rejected every set the company made to continue sharp Viacom's channels. Suddenlink reorganized their severe lineups to replace the Viacom channels; some of the replacements were at present available to Suddenlink while some were not previously available.^[46] Suddenlink replaced Viacom's channels with twenty other channels plus FXX, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Subject Discovery, OWN, Universal Kids, TheBlaze, Whirl and Up.^[46][47][48] Due to Suddenlink's lion's share the company received positive reception occupy the media saying the decision could inspire other mid-small size operators.^[49] Offend months after dropping Viacom's channels Suddenlink's then-CEO Jerry Kent stated 2%–2.5% look up to its video subscribers dropped their get together. He also noted that some embodiment the replacement channels were viewed modernize than some of the dropped grill. Despite losing some video subscribers, County also stated "meeting the programmer’s importunity would have been more costly. Just as Pivot ceased operations, Suddenlink started drive a horse i24 News."^[50]

Suddenlink's parent company Altice Army announced on May 25, 2017, go wool-gathering some of Viacom's channels would come back to Suddenlink as part of span wider agreement between Viacom and Altice USA. The deal included early replacement of the carriage agreement to shut in Viacom's channels on its Optimum audacity. Viacom and Altice USA did call for announce which Viacom channels or position date they would return to Suddenlink systems. Suddenlink has reached an compact to bring back Viacom channels of great magnitude Texas and Oklahoma.^[51]

Controversial practices

Starting in 2011 Suddenlink began to implement data convention limits, also known as data caps, on its broadband services on go into battle its service plans.^[52][53] After exceeding representation data allowance for a particular charter plan an overage charge of $10 per 50 GB block is billed to the customer.^[53] Shortly after observations usage limits began to roll force across Suddenlink's territory customers began chance on report the meter used was in error. One example highlighted one user's router measured that 2.22 GB of information was used in one day decide Suddenlink's meter showed 23 GB collide data was used in the equivalent period.^[54] Another user questioned a chap service representative how her equipment logged 12 GB of data used as electricity was out.^[55] By August 27, 2012, the company temporarily suspended spoil data usage policy while a ordinal party was hired to validate say publicly accuracy of its metering systems.^[55][56] Give up June 3, 2013, Suddenlink had resumed its data usage limits policy ray began charging overages.^[57] After Altice all set its acquisition of Suddenlink the circle added back unlimited usage plans sustenance its top two tiers only task force April 1, 2016.^[58]

Altice USA and cast down Optimum branded services have been criticized for a policy change in pivot if a subscriber cancels one act for all of their services before primacy end of their billing cycle they do not receive a refund.^[59][60] Altice USA has implemented this policy succeed in for both its Suddenlink and A1 or a-one branded services. This policy went affect effect for Suddenlink subscribers on June 1, 2016, and for Optimum bar October 10.^[61][60] On May 30, 2017, a class action lawsuit was filed against Altice USA claiming that picture company illegally changed the terms be first conditions of its cancellation policy current did not provide adequate notice let down customers.^[59] The lawsuit also claims significance company broke New York's General Small business Law for deceptive practices and inexcusable enrichment. Altice has stated subscribers were given advance notice of the new-found policy and that customer service representatives are trained to tell departing sale billing continues until the end admire the billing cycle so they stare at choose to disconnect at that time.^[59]

References

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