Charter to Acquire Optimum West from Cablevision for $1.6 Billion

Charter Communications, which is the fourth largest cable operator in the U.S., will acquire Cablevision's Bresnan Broadband Holdings (Optimum West) for $1.625 billion in cash.  Optimum West manages cable operating systems in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Utah that pass more than 660,000 homes and serve 304,000 video subscribers and 366,000 customer relationships.

"With this transaction, Charter will acquire some of the fastest growing cable assets in the United States," said Tom Rutledge, Charter's President and CEO.  "These former Bresnan properties operate in growing communities, and the network, employees and customer base have been well served for many years. In particular, over the past two years Cablevision, as Optimum West, has grown video, Internet and telephone customers through the execution of a product and service strategy, which is the same as the one we recently implemented at Charter.  Optimum West is an ideal fit for Charter and we anticipate an efficient integration process."

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