News Release
Charter Prices $1.1 Billion Senior Unsecured Notes
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Charter Communications, Inc. (along with its subsidiaries, the "Company" or "Charter") today announced that its subsidiaries, CCO Holdings, LLC and CCO Holdings Capital Corp. have priced a public offering of $1.1 billion in aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes due 2019. The notes will bear an interest rate of 7 percent per annum and will be issued at a price of 99.246 percent of the aggregate principal amount. The notes will result in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $1.076 billion after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions.
Charter intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of the notes to repay outstanding term loan borrowings under its subsidiary's credit facility and for general corporate purposes. The Company expects to close the offering on January 11, 2011, subject to customary closing conditions.
The offering and sale of the notes were made pursuant to an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on January 4, 2011.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. acted as the Lead Bookrunning Manager for the offering. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, copies of which may be obtained on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or by contacting Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. at Prospectus Department, 100 Plaza One, Jersey City, NJ 07311 or by telephone at 1-800-503-4611.
This announcement is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. A registration statement relating to the securities has been filed and became effective January 4, 2011.
The closing on the notes offering is subject to customary closing conditions.
About Charter
Charter (Nasdaq: CHTR) is a leading broadband communications company and the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States. Charter provides a full range of advanced broadband services, including advanced Charter TV(TM) video entertainment programming, Charter Internet(TM) access, and Charter Phone(TM). Charter Business(R) similarly provides scalable, tailored, and cost-effective broadband communications solutions to business organizations, such as business-to-business Internet access, data networking, business telephone, video and music entertainment services, and wireless backhaul. Charter's advertising sales and production services are sold under the Charter Media(R) brand. More information about Charter can be found at charter.com.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), regarding, among other things, our plans, strategies and prospects, both business and financial. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions including, without limitation, the factors described under "Risk Factors" from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this release may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "planned," "will," "may," "intend," "estimated," "aim," "on track," "target," "opportunity," "tentative," "positioning" and "potential," among others. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this release are set forth in other reports or documents that we file from time to time with the SEC, and include, but are not limited to:
- our ability to sustain and grow revenues and free cash flow by offering video, high-speed Internet, telephone and other services to residential and commercial customers, to adequately deliver customer service and to maintain and grow our customer base, particularly in the face of increasingly aggressive competition, the need for innovation and related capital expenditures and the difficult economic conditions in the United States;
- the impact of competition from other distributors, including but not limited to incumbent telephone companies, direct broadcast satellite operators, wireless broadband providers, and digital subscriber line ("DSL") providers and competition from video provided over the Internet;
- general business conditions, economic uncertainty or downturn, high unemployment levels and the significant downturn in the housing sector and overall economy;
- our ability to obtain programming at reasonable prices or to raise prices to offset, in whole or in part, the effects of higher programming costs (including retransmission consents);
- the effects of governmental regulation on our business;
- the availability and access, in general, of funds to meet our debt obligations, prior to or when they become due, and to fund our operations and necessary capital expenditures, either through (i) cash on hand, (ii) free cash flow, (iii) access to the capital or credit markets including through new issuances, exchange offers or otherwise, especially given recent volatility and disruption in the capital and credit markets, or (iv) other sources and our ability to fund debt obligations (by dividend, investment or otherwise) to the applicable obligor of such debt; and
- our ability to comply with all covenants in our indentures and credit facilities, any violation of which, if not cured in a timely manner, could trigger a default of our other obligations under cross-default provisions.
All forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. We are under no duty or obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release.
SOURCE Charter Communications, Inc.