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→‎Criticism: Outdated Coverage section. Non-obj BBB PAID by corps 4 membership. BBB's rating narrowly applies only to the HQ's market, not cities across US: Go to any city's BBB site, and there'll be NO LOCAL RATING of Charter's LOCAL OFFICE.
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'''Charter Communications''' is an American company providing [[cable television]], [[high-speed Internet]], and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the [[United States]], behind [[Comcast]], [[Time Warner Cable]], and [[Cox Communications]].<ref>[http://www.ncta.com/ContentView.aspx?contentId=73 NCTA Top 25 MSO's], ncta.com</ref> It is headquartered in [[Town and Country, Missouri|Town and Country]], [[Missouri]].<ref>[http://www.charter.com/customers/contactus.aspx?contactus=4 Corporate Contact Us], charter.com. Charter Communications. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.</ref><ref name="TCZone">[http://www.town-and-country.org/uploads/ZONING%20MAP.pdf Zoning Map], town-and-country.org. [[Town and Country, Missouri|City of Town and Country]]. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.</ref><ref name="TCCensus">[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=16000US2973618&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=saff&_lang=en&_sse=on Town and Country city], factfinder.census.gov. [[U.S. Census Bureau]]. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-7649278_ITM Town and County, Mo.-Based Charter Communications to Buy Back Employee Stock.], accessmylibrary.com ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]''. January 21, 2004. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.</ref>
'''Charter Communications''' is an American company providing [[cable television]], [[high-speed Internet]], and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the [[United States]], behind [[Comcast]], [[Time Warner Cable]], and [[Cox Communications]].<ref>[http://www.ncta.com/ContentView.aspx?contentId=73 NCTA Top 25 MSO's], ncta.com</ref> It is headquartered in [[Town and Country, Missouri|Town and Country]], [[Missouri]].<ref>[http://www.charter.com/customers/contactus.aspx?contactus=4 Corporate Contact Us], charter.com. Charter Communications. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.</ref><ref name="TCZone">[http://www.town-and-country.org/uploads/ZONING%20MAP.pdf Zoning Map], town-and-country.org. [[Town and Country, Missouri|City of Town and Country]]. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.</ref><ref name="TCCensus">[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=16000US2973618&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=saff&_lang=en&_sse=on Town and Country city], factfinder.census.gov. [[U.S. Census Bureau]]. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-7649278_ITM Town and County, Mo.-Based Charter Communications to Buy Back Employee Stock.], accessmylibrary.com ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]''. January 21, 2004. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.</ref>


==History==
== History ==


Charter Communications incorporated in [[Delaware]] in 1993. Through a series of acquisitions as well as internally financed growth, the company served 1 million customers in 1998, 3.9 million in 1999, and 6.8 million in 2002.
Charter Communications incorporated in [[Delaware]] in 1993. Through a series of acquisitions as well as internally financed growth, the company served 1 million customers in 1998, 3.9 million in 1999, and 6.8 million in 2002.

Four former executives received criminal indictments in 2005 for [[accounting]] fraud related primarily to the inflation of cable subscriber numbers. The company has been under financial pressure; its stock peaked at $27.75 per share in November 1999, before falling to under $1 in 2002.<ref>[http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0504/23/biz-159359.htm Charter Communications executives sentenced in accounting schemes - 04/23/05<!-- Bot generated title -->], detnews.com</ref> On September 14, 2010 Charter Class A common stock was relisted on NASDAQ under the symbol "CHTR",<ref>http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Charter-Communications-Lists-prnews-4115798545.html?x=0</ref> and as of Dec 1, 2010 the 52 Wk High/ Low is $39.99/$29.10.<ref>http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/CHTR/historical</ref>


In 2006, Charter accelerated sales of [[cable telephone]] services using Broadband Telephony technology.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}
In 2006, Charter accelerated sales of [[cable telephone]] services using Broadband Telephony technology.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}


====Fraud====
On March 28, 2009, Charter Communications filed for [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]]. Charter emerged from bankruptcy, Nov. 30, 2009.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN3044096520091130 | work=Reuters | title=UPDATE 1-Charter Communications emerges from bankruptcy | date=November 30, 2009}}</ref>

Four former executives of Charter Communications received criminal indictments and were found guilty in 2005 for [[accounting]] fraud, related primarily to the inflation of cable-subscriber numbers.<ref>[http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0504/23/biz-159359.htm Charter Communications Executives Sentenced in Accounting Schemes], www.detnews.com</ref>

====Stock====

The company has been under financial pressure; its stock peaked at $27.75 per share in November 1999, before falling to under $1 in 2002. On September 14, 2010 Charter Class A common stock was re-listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "CHTR",<ref>http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Charter-Communications-Lists-prnews-4115798545.html?x=0</ref> and as of Dec 1, 2010 the 52 Wk High/ Low is $39.99/$29.10.<ref>http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/CHTR/historical</ref>

====Bankruptcy====

On February 12, 2009, Charter Communications announced that it planned to file for [[Chapter 11]] bankruptcy on or before April 1, 2009. The action would allow Charter to pay its debt obligations, and cancel its obligations to shareholders.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aRNbIGDaKBaQ&refer=news Bloomberg.com]</ref>

On March 28, 2009, Charter Communications filed for [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]]. [[Private equity]] firm [[Apollo Management]] expected to own most of Charter's shares after the bankruptcy.<ref>''Reuters'', 19 March 2009, [http://www.reuters.com/article/americasDealsNews/idUSTRE52I6VR20090319 Apollo plans to own most of Charter after bankruptcy: sources]</ref> Charter expected the financial restructuring to reduce its debt by $8 billion, as well as adding $3 billion of new investment, and refinancing other debt.

On November 30, 2009, its bankruptcy plan was approved, which extinguished its stock and cut approximately $8 billion in debt.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Charter Communications Completes Financial Restructuring and Emerges From Chapter 11 |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112298&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1359904&highlight= |publisher=Charter Communications |date=2009-11-30 |accessdate=2009-12-01}}, corporate-ir.net</ref> That day, Charter emerged from bankruptcy despite many of its creditors' objections over its bankruptcy plan.<ref>
{{cite news |title=Charter Exits Chapter 11 |first=Karl |last=Bode |newspaper=BroadbandReports.com |date=2009-11-30 |url=http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Charter-Exits-Chapter-11-105703| accessdate=2009-12-01 }}, dslreports.com</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN3044096520091130 | work=Reuters | title=UPDATE 1-Charter Communications emerges from bankruptcy | date=November 30, 2009}}</ref>

==== Call Centers ====

Orders completed online or through retail partners with Charter Communication have been directed to inbound/outbound sales and online chat agents, at a call center located in [[Tempe, Arizona]] and operated by Teletech (Direct Alliance).


On May 2, 2006, Charter announced the shutdown of seven of its [[Call centre|call centers]] in the United States:
=== Call Centers ===
On May 2, 2006, Charter announced it will shut down seven of its [[Call centre|call centers]] in the United States. The call centers closing are in the following locations:
* [[St. Louis, Missouri]] Video Customer Care Center (July 31, 2006) (Converted into a Charter Telephone service call center)
* [[St. Louis, Missouri]] Video Customer Care Center (July 31, 2006) (Converted into a Charter Telephone service call center)
* [[Bay City, Michigan]] (September 2006) (Converted into a Charter Dispatch center)
* [[Bay City, Michigan]] (September 2006) (Converted into a Charter Dispatch center)
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* [[Amherst, Nova Scotia]] (December 2010) (Third Party, Teletech, closed)
* [[Amherst, Nova Scotia]] (December 2010) (Third Party, Teletech, closed)


As centers close, an increasing number of calls are being outsourced. Current{{when|date=December 2010}} outsource centers are located in [[Cainta, Rizal|Cainta, Philippines]]; [[Panama City, Panama]]; [[Mexico City]], [[Mexico]]; [[London, Ontario]]; [[Trenton, Ontario]]; [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]]; and [[Brasília|Brasília, Brazil]].
As centers closed, an increasing number of calls were outsourced to [[Cainta, Rizal|Cainta, Philippines]]; [[Panama City, Panama]]; [[Mexico City]], [[Mexico]]; [[London, Ontario]]; [[Trenton, Ontario]]; [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]]; and [[Brasília|Brasília, Brazil]]. Remaining Charter-owned call centers are located in:
* [[Heathrow, Florida]] (video, high-speed data, and telephone-billing);
* [[St. Louis, Missouri]];
* [[Greenville, South Carolina]];
* [[Vancouver, Washington]];
* [[Fond du Lac, Wisconsin]];
* [[Walker, Michigan]];
* [[Rochester, Minnesota]];
* [[Worcester, Massachusetts]]; and
* [[Louisville, Kentucky]] (the largest call center).


Orders completed online or through retail partners with Charter Communication are directed to a call center located in [[Tempe, Arizona]], operated by Teletech (Direct Alliance). This call center has inbound/outbound sales agents, as well as online chat agents.


== Criticism ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2008}}
Charter-owned call centers are located in [[St. Louis, Missouri]] (telephone service support center); [[Greenville, South Carolina]]; [[Vancouver, Washington]]; [[Fond du Lac, Wisconsin]]; [[Walker, Michigan]]; [[Rochester, Minnesota]]; [[Worcester, Massachusetts]] and [[Louisville, Kentucky]] (the largest call center enterprise-wide) with [[Heathrow, Florida]] handling the bulk of video, high-speed data, and telephone billing and customer service contacts. Each of the remaining centers are becoming increasingly specialized for particular lines of service or customer issues. In contrast, in the fourth quarter of 2007, Louisville call-center employees, who had been handling callers with Internet issues, were told to prepare for cross-training in video support.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}


[[PC World (magazine)|''PCWorld'']] rated Charter's [[Cable modem|cable Internet]] service as '''worst''' among 14 major [[Internet service provider]]s.<ref>[http://www.pcworld.com/article/133019/the_best_and_worst_isps.html], pcworld.com</ref> DSLReports.com ranked Charter High-Speed service at the bottom, at 19 out of 22 cable ISPs.<ref>[http://www.dslreports.com/gbu/CA DSLreports.com]</ref> ''[[Consumer Reports]]'' determined that Charter's three-way bundling of TV, Internet, and [[VOIP]] telephony is the worst of all major national carriers.<ref>[http://www.midcocomm.com/cable/programming/channellineups/?fid=614&x=24&y=7 Former Charter Channel Line up on the Midco Website], midcocomm.com</ref><ref>[http://www.midcocomm.com/cable/programming/channellineups/?fid=466&x=26&y=13 Channel Line up on the Midco cable system in east central North Dakota], midcocomm.com</ref>
===Acquisitions/Divestitures===

[[About.com]]'s Net Security reported that Charter Communications redirected error pages and Windows Live search results to a Charter search page without notifying customers. Any customer who figured this out and wanted to opt out of Charter's hijacking redirection was stuck with a deliberately failure-prone, short-term workaround: Click the relevant link on Charter's hijacking search page and thereby accept a forced browser cookie, which, upon the common security and privacy practice of deleting such cookies, would require the user to remember to opt out via this cumbersome procedure all over again.<ref>[http://netsecurity.about.com/od/webbrowsersecurity/ss/charterhijack.htm Netsecurity.about.com]</ref>

On January 21, 2008, during a routine sweep of inactive accounts, Charter accidentally deleted the email accounts of approximately 14,000 customers; even worse, the removed data are now irretrievable. At first, Charter refused to compensate users in any way; later, it decided to give a $50 account credit to each user affected.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22793918/ MSN.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/01/21/daily60.html Bizjournals.com]</ref>

In May 2008, Charter announced that it planned to monitor websites visited by its high-speed Internet customers via a partnership with [[targeted advertising]] firm [[NebuAd]].<ref>[http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/charter-will-monitor-customers-web-surfing-to-target-ads/index.html?ref=technology New York Times], nytimes.com</ref><ref>[http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/14/charter-track-users-replace The Inquirer], theinquirer.net</ref>
After negative press reports, Charter changed course.<ref>{{cite news|author=The Associated Press|title=Charter Won’t Track Customers' Web Use|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/technology/25charter.html|date=June 25, 2008|publisher=via The New York Times Company|accessdate=2008-06-29}}, nytimes.com</ref>

Charter customers, frustrated with Charter's privacy violations and poor technical and customer service, have expressed their dissatisfaction on various Web sites, including:

* StopTheCap<ref>[http://www.StopTheCap.com StopTheCap], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>:
** <i>Charter Cable Tells Tornado Victims to "Look Around the Neighborhood" for Cable Boxes...or Else</i><ref>[http://stopthecap.com/2011/05/18/charter-cable-tells-tornado-victims-to-look-around-the-neighborhood-for-cable-boxes-or-else/ Charter Cable Tells Tornado Victims to "Look Around the Neighborhood" for Cable Boxes...or Else], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>
** <i>Charter Cable Tells Family Tough Luck: Pay Us $1,600 for Cable Equipment, Batteries Lost in Fire</i><ref>[http://stopthecap.com/2011/09/01/charter-cable-tells-family-tough-luck-pay-us-1600-for-cable-equipment-batteries-lost-in-fire/ Charter Cable Tells Family Tough Luck: Pay Us $1,600 for Cable Equipment, Batteries Lost in Fire], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>
** <i>Charter’s Excuse-o-Matic: Reporter Ambush Finally Effective at Getting Service Fixed in Texas</i><ref>[http://stopthecap.com/2011/09/01/charter-cable-tells-family-tough-luck-pay-us-1600-for-cable-equipment-batteries-lost-in-fire/ Charter’s Excuse-o-Matic: Reporter Ambush Finally Effective at Getting Service Fixed in Texas], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>
** <i>Charter Customers: Call and Ask Why You Can’t Have Their $60 Cable TV/30Mbps Broadband Deal</i><ref>[http://stopthecap.com/2012/03/12/charter-customers-call-and-ask-why-you-cant-have-their-60-cable-tv30mbps-broadband-deal/ Charter Customers: Call and Ask Why You Can’t Have Their $60 Cable TV/30Mbps Broadband Deal], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>

* The Consumerist: Keyword <i>Charter</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=1&tag=charter&limit=20 The Consumerist], www.consumerist.com</ref>
** <i>UPDATE: Charter Will Track Your Internet Activity, Regardless of Whether You Opt Out</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/2008/05/update-charter-will-track-your-internet-activity-regardless-of-whether-you-opt-out.html UPDATE: Charter Will Track Your Internet Activity, Regardless of Whether You Opt Out], The Consumerist</ref>
** <i>Charter Publishes Unlisted Numbers in the Phone Book</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/2008/09/charter-publishes-unlisted-numbers-in-the-phone-book.html Charter Publishes Unlisted Numbers in the Phone Book], The Consumerist</ref>
** <i>Charter Drags Feet to Fix Entire Neighborhood's Internet Access</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/2011/07/charter-drags-feet-to-fix-entire-neighborhoods-internet-access.html Charter Drags Feet to Fix Entire Neighborhood's Internet Access], The Consumerist</ref>
** <i>Why Does My Internet Connection Take a Daily Afternoon Siesta?</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/2012/03/why-does-my-internet-connection-take-a-daily-afternoon-siesta.html Why Does My Internet Connection Take a Daily Afternoon Siesta?], The Consumerist</ref>

* YouTube: Keyword <i>CrummyCharterCable</i><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/CrummyCharterCable CrummyCharterCable], www.youtube.com</ref>

* Clark Howard<ref>[http://www.ClarkHoward.com Clark Howard], www.ClarkHoward.com</ref>:
** <i>The 19 Most Hated Companies in America</i><ref>[http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/consumer-issues-id-theft/19-most-hated-companies-america/nDFB4/ The 19 Most Hated Companies in America], www.ClarkHoward.com</ref>
** <i>Charter Cable Backs Down in Tornado Debacle</i><ref>[http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/consumer-issues-id-theft/charter-cable-backs-down-tornado-debacle/nCqr7/ Charter Cable Backs Down in Tornado Debacle], www.ClarkHoward.com</ref>

* Charter Sucks<ref>[http://www.Charter-Sucks.com Charter Sucks], www.Charter-Sucks.com</ref>


== Recognition ==

[[PC World (magazine)|PCWorld]]'' in 2011 awarded charter with numerous fastest ISP awards. Charter has recently upgraded their internet speed tiers giving most customers a free upgrade in speed twice during the 2011 business year.<ref>[http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392101,00.asp Charter sweeps PC Magazine's Fastest ISP awards], pcmag.com</ref>

In 2009 Charter won a CableFax TopOps award for it's Day of Service, aka DOS, team that answers calls from customers on the day that a technician is scheduled to arrive at their home. DOS team members are highly trained agents that answer questions about services and ensure that the customer has the best possible experience with their service technician.<ref>[http://www.cablefax.com/cablefaxmag/independent_operators/2009-Top-Ops-Awards-Customer-Service-Award-Charters-Day-of-Service-Team_36654.html, cablefax.com]</ref>

In December 2007, Charter was recognized by ''CableWorld Magazine'' as "2007 Multi-System Operator of the Year." According to the magazine, the company was selected for this award based on "rapidly expanding its telephone footprint to take advantage of the triple-play offering; developing a consistent, data-driven marketing plan; and addressing its nearest-term debt maturities."<ref>[http://www.cable360.net/cablefaxmag/business/finance/27157.html 2007 MSO of the Year: Charter—Back From the Brink: Cable Fax Magazine], cable360.net</ref> During the spring of 2008, Charter was honored with third place among companies with over 2,000 employees in the annual "Best Places to Work in St. Louis" competition, sponsored by the ''St. Louis Business Journal.'', based on the response of Charter employees in the area to an online survey created and managed by the Journal.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/04/07/daily71.html 19 St. Louis companies named "Best Places to Work" - St. Louis Business Journal], bizjournals.com</ref>


== Timeline ==

==== Acquisitions and Divestitures ====
{{Update|this section|date=March 2009}}
{{Update|this section|date=March 2009}}
November 1999: Charter went public after more than ten major acquisitions in one year:.<ref name="fundinguniverse1">http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Charter-Communications-Inc-Company-History.html</ref>
November 1999: Charter went public after more than ten major acquisitions in one year:.<ref name="fundinguniverse1">http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Charter-Communications-Inc-Company-History.html</ref>
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On October 22, 2010, announced completion of the sale of cable systems serving approximately 65,000 customers in seven states to Cobridge Communications, LLC. The 36 head ends acquired by Cobridge are located in [[Alabama]], [[Arkansas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Louisiana]], [[Missouri]], [[Ohio]] and [[Texas]]. As a result of this sale, Charter no longer operates in [[Arkansas]] and [[Ohio]].<ref>http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112298&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1486159&highlight=</ref>
On October 22, 2010, announced completion of the sale of cable systems serving approximately 65,000 customers in seven states to Cobridge Communications, LLC. The 36 head ends acquired by Cobridge are located in [[Alabama]], [[Arkansas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Louisiana]], [[Missouri]], [[Ohio]] and [[Texas]]. As a result of this sale, Charter no longer operates in [[Arkansas]] and [[Ohio]].<ref>http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112298&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1486159&highlight=</ref>


===Bankruptcy===
==== Company ====
On February 12, 2009, Charter Communications announced that it planned to file for [[Chapter 11]] bankruptcy on or before April 1, 2009. The action would allow Charter to pay its debt obligations, and cancel its obligations to shareholders.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aRNbIGDaKBaQ&refer=news Bloomberg.com]</ref> [[Private equity]] firm [[Apollo Management]] expected to own most of Charter's shares after the bankruptcy.<ref>''Reuters'', 19 March 2009, [http://www.reuters.com/article/americasDealsNews/idUSTRE52I6VR20090319 Apollo plans to own most of Charter after bankruptcy: sources]</ref> Charter filed for a prearranged bankruptcy on March 28, 2009. The company expects the financial restructuring to reduce its debt by $8 billion, as well as adding $3 billion of new investment, and refinancing other debt. On November 30, 2009, its bankruptcy plan was approved, which extinguished its stock and cut approximately $8 billion in debt.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Charter Communications Completes Financial Restructuring and Emerges From Chapter 11 |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112298&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1359904&highlight= |publisher=Charter Communications |date=2009-11-30 |accessdate=2009-12-01}}, corporate-ir.net</ref> That day, Charter emerged from bankruptcy despite many of its creditors' objections over its bankruptcy plan.<ref>
{{cite news |title=Charter Exits Chapter 11 |first=Karl |last=Bode |newspaper=BroadbandReports.com |date=2009-11-30 |url=http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Charter-Exits-Chapter-11-105703| accessdate=2009-12-01 }}, dslreports.com</ref>

== Awards and recognition ==
[[PC World (magazine)|PCWorld]]'' in 2011 awarded charter with numerous fastest ISP awards. Charter has recently upgraded their internet speed tiers giving most customers a free upgrade in speed twice during the 2011 business year.<ref>[http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392101,00.asp Charter sweeps PC Magazine's Fastest ISP awards], pcmag.com</ref>

In 2009 Charter won a CableFax TopOps award for it's Day of Service, aka DOS, team that answers calls from customers on the day that a technician is scheduled to arrive at their home. DOS team members are highly trained agents that answer questions about services and ensure that the customer has the best possible experience with their service technician.<ref>[http://www.cablefax.com/cablefaxmag/independent_operators/2009-Top-Ops-Awards-Customer-Service-Award-Charters-Day-of-Service-Team_36654.html, cablefax.com]</ref>

In December 2007, Charter was recognized by ''CableWorld Magazine'' as "2007 Multi-System Operator of the Year." According to the magazine, the company was selected for this award based on "rapidly expanding its telephone footprint to take advantage of the triple-play offering; developing a consistent, data-driven marketing plan; and addressing its nearest-term debt maturities."<ref>[http://www.cable360.net/cablefaxmag/business/finance/27157.html 2007 MSO of the Year: Charter—Back From the Brink: Cable Fax Magazine], cable360.net</ref> During the spring of 2008, Charter was honored with third place among companies with over 2,000 employees in the annual "Best Places to Work in St. Louis" competition, sponsored by the ''St. Louis Business Journal.'', based on the response of Charter employees in the area to an online survey created and managed by the Journal.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/04/07/daily71.html 19 St. Louis companies named "Best Places to Work" - St. Louis Business Journal], bizjournals.com</ref>

==Criticism==

[[PC World (magazine)|''PCWorld'']] rated Charter's [[Cable modem|cable Internet]] service as '''worst''' among 14 major [[Internet service provider]]s.<ref>[http://www.pcworld.com/article/133019/the_best_and_worst_isps.html], pcworld.com</ref> DSLReports.com ranked Charter High-Speed service at the bottom, at 19 out of 22 cable ISPs.<ref>[http://www.dslreports.com/gbu/CA DSLreports.com]</ref> ''[[Consumer Reports]]'' determined that Charter's three-way bundling of TV, Internet, and [[VOIP]] telephony is the worst of all major national carriers.<ref>[http://www.midcocomm.com/cable/programming/channellineups/?fid=614&x=24&y=7 Former Charter Channel Line up on the Midco Website], midcocomm.com</ref><ref>[http://www.midcocomm.com/cable/programming/channellineups/?fid=466&x=26&y=13 Channel Line up on the Midco cable system in east central North Dakota], midcocomm.com</ref>

[[About.com]]'s Net Security reported that Charter Communications redirected error pages and Windows Live search results to a Charter search page without notifying customers. Any customer who figured this out and wanted to opt out of Charter's hijacking redirection was stuck with a deliberately failure-prone, short-term workaround: Click the relevant link on Charter's hijacking search page and thereby accept a forced browser cookie, which, upon the common security and privacy practice of deleting such cookies, would require the user to remember to opt out via this cumbersome procedure all over again.<ref>[http://netsecurity.about.com/od/webbrowsersecurity/ss/charterhijack.htm Netsecurity.about.com]</ref>

On January 21, 2008, during a routine sweep of inactive accounts, Charter accidentally deleted the email accounts of approximately 14,000 customers; even worse, the removed data are now irretrievable. At first, Charter refused to compensate users in any way; later, it decided to give a $50 account credit to each user affected.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22793918/ MSN.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/01/21/daily60.html Bizjournals.com]</ref>

In May 2008, Charter announced that it planned to monitor websites visited by its high-speed Internet customers via a partnership with [[targeted advertising]] firm [[NebuAd]].<ref>[http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/charter-will-monitor-customers-web-surfing-to-target-ads/index.html?ref=technology New York Times], nytimes.com</ref><ref>[http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/14/charter-track-users-replace The Inquirer], theinquirer.net</ref>
After negative press reports, Charter changed course.<ref>{{cite news|author=The Associated Press|title=Charter Won’t Track Customers' Web Use|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/technology/25charter.html|date=June 25, 2008|publisher=via The New York Times Company|accessdate=2008-06-29}}, nytimes.com</ref>

Charter customers, frustrated with Charter's privacy violations and poor technical and customer service, have expressed their dissatisfaction on various Web sites, including:

* StopTheCap<ref>[http://www.StopTheCap.com StopTheCap], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>:
** <i>Charter Cable Tells Tornado Victims to "Look Around the Neighborhood" for Cable Boxes...or Else</i><ref>[http://stopthecap.com/2011/05/18/charter-cable-tells-tornado-victims-to-look-around-the-neighborhood-for-cable-boxes-or-else/ Charter Cable Tells Tornado Victims to "Look Around the Neighborhood" for Cable Boxes...or Else], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>
** <i>Charter Cable Tells Family Tough Luck: Pay Us $1,600 for Cable Equipment, Batteries Lost in Fire</i><ref>[http://stopthecap.com/2011/09/01/charter-cable-tells-family-tough-luck-pay-us-1600-for-cable-equipment-batteries-lost-in-fire/ Charter Cable Tells Family Tough Luck: Pay Us $1,600 for Cable Equipment, Batteries Lost in Fire], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>
** <i>Charter’s Excuse-o-Matic: Reporter Ambush Finally Effective at Getting Service Fixed in Texas</i><ref>[http://stopthecap.com/2011/09/01/charter-cable-tells-family-tough-luck-pay-us-1600-for-cable-equipment-batteries-lost-in-fire/ Charter’s Excuse-o-Matic: Reporter Ambush Finally Effective at Getting Service Fixed in Texas], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>
** <i>Charter Customers: Call and Ask Why You Can’t Have Their $60 Cable TV/30Mbps Broadband Deal</i><ref>[http://stopthecap.com/2012/03/12/charter-customers-call-and-ask-why-you-cant-have-their-60-cable-tv30mbps-broadband-deal/ Charter Customers: Call and Ask Why You Can’t Have Their $60 Cable TV/30Mbps Broadband Deal], www.StopTheCap.com</ref>

* The Consumerist: Keyword <i>Charter</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=1&tag=charter&limit=20 The Consumerist], www.consumerist.com</ref>
** <i>UPDATE: Charter Will Track Your Internet Activity, Regardless of Whether You Opt Out</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/2008/05/update-charter-will-track-your-internet-activity-regardless-of-whether-you-opt-out.html UPDATE: Charter Will Track Your Internet Activity, Regardless of Whether You Opt Out], The Consumerist</ref>
** <i>Charter Publishes Unlisted Numbers in the Phone Book</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/2008/09/charter-publishes-unlisted-numbers-in-the-phone-book.html Charter Publishes Unlisted Numbers in the Phone Book], The Consumerist</ref>
** <i>Charter Drags Feet to Fix Entire Neighborhood's Internet Access</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/2011/07/charter-drags-feet-to-fix-entire-neighborhoods-internet-access.html Charter Drags Feet to Fix Entire Neighborhood's Internet Access], The Consumerist</ref>
** <i>Why Does My Internet Connection Take a Daily Afternoon Siesta?</i><ref>[http://consumerist.com/2012/03/why-does-my-internet-connection-take-a-daily-afternoon-siesta.html Why Does My Internet Connection Take a Daily Afternoon Siesta?], The Consumerist</ref>

* YouTube: Keyword <i>CrummyCharterCable</i><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/CrummyCharterCable CrummyCharterCable], www.youtube.com</ref>

* Clark Howard<ref>[http://www.ClarkHoward.com Clark Howard], www.ClarkHoward.com</ref>:
** <i>The 19 Most Hated Companies in America</i><ref>[http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/consumer-issues-id-theft/19-most-hated-companies-america/nDFB4/ The 19 Most Hated Companies in America], www.ClarkHoward.com</ref>
** <i>Charter Cable Backs Down in Tornado Debacle</i><ref>[http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/consumer-issues-id-theft/charter-cable-backs-down-tornado-debacle/nCqr7/ Charter Cable Backs Down in Tornado Debacle], www.ClarkHoward.com</ref>

* Charter Sucks<ref>[http://www.Charter-Sucks.com Charter Sucks], www.Charter-Sucks.com</ref>

==Charter company timeline==
{{Refimprove section|date=December 2008}}
{{Refimprove section|date=December 2008}}
* 1993: Company was started by three executives&nbsp;&mdash; Barry Babcock, Jerald Kent, and Howard Wood, former executives of Cencom Cable Television in St. Louis, Missouri.
* 1993: Company was started by three executives&nbsp;&mdash; Barry Babcock, Jerald Kent, and Howard Wood, former executives of Cencom Cable Television in St. Louis, Missouri.

Revision as of 13:02, 17 April 2012

Charter Communications, Inc.
Company typePublic
Nasdaq: CHTR
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded1993
HeadquartersTown and Country, MO, USA
Key people
Eric L. Zinterhofer (Chairman)
Tom Rutledge (President and CEO)
ProductsCable television
HDTV
Digital telephone
Broadband
RevenueUS$ 7.20 billion (2011)[1]
US$ 895 million (2011)[1]
US$ -369 million (2011)[1]
Total assetsUS$ 15.605 billion (2011)[1]
Total equityUS$ 409 million (2011)[1]
Number of employees
16,800 (2011)[1]
Websitecharter.com
Charter Telephone service van

Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications.[3] It is headquartered in Town and Country, Missouri.[4][5][6][7]

History

Charter Communications incorporated in Delaware in 1993. Through a series of acquisitions as well as internally financed growth, the company served 1 million customers in 1998, 3.9 million in 1999, and 6.8 million in 2002.

In 2006, Charter accelerated sales of cable telephone services using Broadband Telephony technology.[citation needed]

Fraud

Four former executives of Charter Communications received criminal indictments and were found guilty in 2005 for accounting fraud, related primarily to the inflation of cable-subscriber numbers.[8]

Stock

The company has been under financial pressure; its stock peaked at $27.75 per share in November 1999, before falling to under $1 in 2002. On September 14, 2010 Charter Class A common stock was re-listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "CHTR",[9] and as of Dec 1, 2010 the 52 Wk High/ Low is $39.99/$29.10.[10]

Bankruptcy

On February 12, 2009, Charter Communications announced that it planned to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on or before April 1, 2009. The action would allow Charter to pay its debt obligations, and cancel its obligations to shareholders.[11]

On March 28, 2009, Charter Communications filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Private equity firm Apollo Management expected to own most of Charter's shares after the bankruptcy.[12] Charter expected the financial restructuring to reduce its debt by $8 billion, as well as adding $3 billion of new investment, and refinancing other debt.

On November 30, 2009, its bankruptcy plan was approved, which extinguished its stock and cut approximately $8 billion in debt.[13] That day, Charter emerged from bankruptcy despite many of its creditors' objections over its bankruptcy plan.[14][15]

Call Centers

Orders completed online or through retail partners with Charter Communication have been directed to inbound/outbound sales and online chat agents, at a call center located in Tempe, Arizona and operated by Teletech (Direct Alliance).

On May 2, 2006, Charter announced the shutdown of seven of its call centers in the United States:

As centers closed, an increasing number of calls were outsourced to Cainta, Philippines; Panama City, Panama; Mexico City, Mexico; London, Ontario; Trenton, Ontario; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Brasília, Brazil. Remaining Charter-owned call centers are located in:


Criticism

PCWorld rated Charter's cable Internet service as worst among 14 major Internet service providers.[16] DSLReports.com ranked Charter High-Speed service at the bottom, at 19 out of 22 cable ISPs.[17] Consumer Reports determined that Charter's three-way bundling of TV, Internet, and VOIP telephony is the worst of all major national carriers.[18][19]

About.com's Net Security reported that Charter Communications redirected error pages and Windows Live search results to a Charter search page without notifying customers. Any customer who figured this out and wanted to opt out of Charter's hijacking redirection was stuck with a deliberately failure-prone, short-term workaround: Click the relevant link on Charter's hijacking search page and thereby accept a forced browser cookie, which, upon the common security and privacy practice of deleting such cookies, would require the user to remember to opt out via this cumbersome procedure all over again.[20]

On January 21, 2008, during a routine sweep of inactive accounts, Charter accidentally deleted the email accounts of approximately 14,000 customers; even worse, the removed data are now irretrievable. At first, Charter refused to compensate users in any way; later, it decided to give a $50 account credit to each user affected.[21][22]

In May 2008, Charter announced that it planned to monitor websites visited by its high-speed Internet customers via a partnership with targeted advertising firm NebuAd.[23][24] After negative press reports, Charter changed course.[25]

Charter customers, frustrated with Charter's privacy violations and poor technical and customer service, have expressed their dissatisfaction on various Web sites, including:

  • StopTheCap[26]:
    • Charter Cable Tells Tornado Victims to "Look Around the Neighborhood" for Cable Boxes...or Else[27]
    • Charter Cable Tells Family Tough Luck: Pay Us $1,600 for Cable Equipment, Batteries Lost in Fire[28]
    • Charter’s Excuse-o-Matic: Reporter Ambush Finally Effective at Getting Service Fixed in Texas[29]
    • Charter Customers: Call and Ask Why You Can’t Have Their $60 Cable TV/30Mbps Broadband Deal[30]
  • The Consumerist: Keyword Charter[31]
    • UPDATE: Charter Will Track Your Internet Activity, Regardless of Whether You Opt Out[32]
    • Charter Publishes Unlisted Numbers in the Phone Book[33]
    • Charter Drags Feet to Fix Entire Neighborhood's Internet Access[34]
    • Why Does My Internet Connection Take a Daily Afternoon Siesta?[35]
  • YouTube: Keyword CrummyCharterCable[36]
  • Clark Howard[37]:
    • The 19 Most Hated Companies in America[38]
    • Charter Cable Backs Down in Tornado Debacle[39]


Recognition

PCWorld in 2011 awarded charter with numerous fastest ISP awards. Charter has recently upgraded their internet speed tiers giving most customers a free upgrade in speed twice during the 2011 business year.[41]

In 2009 Charter won a CableFax TopOps award for it's Day of Service, aka DOS, team that answers calls from customers on the day that a technician is scheduled to arrive at their home. DOS team members are highly trained agents that answer questions about services and ensure that the customer has the best possible experience with their service technician.[42]

In December 2007, Charter was recognized by CableWorld Magazine as "2007 Multi-System Operator of the Year." According to the magazine, the company was selected for this award based on "rapidly expanding its telephone footprint to take advantage of the triple-play offering; developing a consistent, data-driven marketing plan; and addressing its nearest-term debt maturities."[43] During the spring of 2008, Charter was honored with third place among companies with over 2,000 employees in the annual "Best Places to Work in St. Louis" competition, sponsored by the St. Louis Business Journal., based on the response of Charter employees in the area to an online survey created and managed by the Journal.[44]


Timeline

Acquisitions and Divestitures

November 1999: Charter went public after more than ten major acquisitions in one year:.[45]

Charter also began swapping customers with other systems to improve the geographic clustering of its systems. In December 1999 it signed a letter of intent with AT&T to swap 1.3 million cable subscribers in St. Louis as well as in Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri.[45]

On March 22, 2006, Charter announced that it would sell cable systems serving approximately 43,000 customers in Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah to Orange Broadband Holding Company (since renamed Baja Broadband).[46]

Charter also sold cable systems in West Virginia and Virginia to Cebridge Connections (now known as Suddenlink Communications) and cable systems in Kentucky and Illinois to New Wave Communications.[47]

On October 14, 2008, an article appeared in the Fairmont, Minnesota Sentinel (Fairmont Sentinel), reporting that Charter is selling parts of their system to Midcontinent Communications, including its Bemidji, Minnesota and International Falls, Minnesota offices. Starting February 1, 2009 Midcontinent Communications took over some Charter's cable system in Minnesota including Balaton, Bemidji, Canby, Ely, Fairmont, International Falls, Littlefork, Sherburn, and surrounding communities. Other areas in Minnesota would have sold to Comcast, but the deal fell through.[48]

On October 22, 2010, announced completion of the sale of cable systems serving approximately 65,000 customers in seven states to Cobridge Communications, LLC. The 36 head ends acquired by Cobridge are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio and Texas. As a result of this sale, Charter no longer operates in Arkansas and Ohio.[49]

Company

  • 1993: Company was started by three executives — Barry Babcock, Jerald Kent, and Howard Wood, former executives of Cencom Cable Television in St. Louis, Missouri.
  • 1995: Paid about $300 million for a controlling interest in Crown Media and acquired Cable South.
  • 1997: Charter and EarthLink joined forces to deliver high-speed Internet access through cable modems to Charter's customers in California.
  • 1998: Paul Allen bought a controlling interest.
  • 1998: Paid $2.8 billion to acquire Dallas-based cable company Marcus Cable.
  • 1999: Company went public, trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
  • 2000: Bought select AT&T cable markets, including Reno, Nevada and the City of St. Louis.
  • 2001: MSN and Charter signed an agreement to offer MSN content and services to Charter's broadband customers.
  • 2001: Received awards, including the Outstanding Corporate Growth Award from the Association for Corporate Growth, the R.E. "Ted" Turner Innovator of the Year Award from the Southern Cable Telecommunications Association, and the Fast 50 Award for Growth from the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association.
  • 2002: The United States Department of Justice investigated the company, leading to the indictment of four former executives for improper financial reporting.
  • 2004: Settled a class action lawsuit concerning the questionable financial reporting.
  • 2008: Acquired the cable television franchise and service for the Cerritos and Ventura, California area from WAVE Broadband.
  • 2008: Charter stock failed to meet NASDAQ standards and was given warning to comply by October 13 or request an extension.[50]
  • 2009: Filed to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.
  • 2009: Completed financial restructuring and emerged from bankruptcy.[51]
  • 2010: Paul Allen stepped down as chairman and from board of directors' seat, but remains the largest single shareholder.
  • 2010: Charter signs multi-year deal with Tivo to deliver content via its platform[52]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "2007 Annual Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-02-14., library.corporate-ir.net
  2. ^ "Company Profile for Charter Communications, Inc. (CHTR)". Retrieved 2009-02-14., google.com
  3. ^ NCTA Top 25 MSO's, ncta.com
  4. ^ Corporate Contact Us, charter.com. Charter Communications. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.
  5. ^ Zoning Map, town-and-country.org. City of Town and Country. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.
  6. ^ Town and Country city, factfinder.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.
  7. ^ Town and County, Mo.-Based Charter Communications to Buy Back Employee Stock., accessmylibrary.com St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 21, 2004. Retrieved on August 18, 2009.
  8. ^ Charter Communications Executives Sentenced in Accounting Schemes, www.detnews.com
  9. ^ http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Charter-Communications-Lists-prnews-4115798545.html?x=0
  10. ^ http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/CHTR/historical
  11. ^ Bloomberg.com
  12. ^ Reuters, 19 March 2009, Apollo plans to own most of Charter after bankruptcy: sources
  13. ^ "Charter Communications Completes Financial Restructuring and Emerges From Chapter 11" (Press release). Charter Communications. 2009-11-30. Retrieved 2009-12-01., corporate-ir.net
  14. ^ Bode, Karl (2009-11-30). "Charter Exits Chapter 11". BroadbandReports.com. Retrieved 2009-12-01., dslreports.com
  15. ^ "UPDATE 1-Charter Communications emerges from bankruptcy". Reuters. November 30, 2009.
  16. ^ [1], pcworld.com
  17. ^ DSLreports.com
  18. ^ Former Charter Channel Line up on the Midco Website, midcocomm.com
  19. ^ Channel Line up on the Midco cable system in east central North Dakota, midcocomm.com
  20. ^ Netsecurity.about.com
  21. ^ MSN.com
  22. ^ Bizjournals.com
  23. ^ New York Times, nytimes.com
  24. ^ The Inquirer, theinquirer.net
  25. ^ The Associated Press (June 25, 2008). "Charter Won't Track Customers' Web Use". via The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-06-29., nytimes.com
  26. ^ StopTheCap, www.StopTheCap.com
  27. ^ Charter Cable Tells Tornado Victims to "Look Around the Neighborhood" for Cable Boxes...or Else, www.StopTheCap.com
  28. ^ Charter Cable Tells Family Tough Luck: Pay Us $1,600 for Cable Equipment, Batteries Lost in Fire, www.StopTheCap.com
  29. ^ Charter’s Excuse-o-Matic: Reporter Ambush Finally Effective at Getting Service Fixed in Texas, www.StopTheCap.com
  30. ^ Charter Customers: Call and Ask Why You Can’t Have Their $60 Cable TV/30Mbps Broadband Deal, www.StopTheCap.com
  31. ^ The Consumerist, www.consumerist.com
  32. ^ UPDATE: Charter Will Track Your Internet Activity, Regardless of Whether You Opt Out, The Consumerist
  33. ^ Charter Publishes Unlisted Numbers in the Phone Book, The Consumerist
  34. ^ Charter Drags Feet to Fix Entire Neighborhood's Internet Access, The Consumerist
  35. ^ Why Does My Internet Connection Take a Daily Afternoon Siesta?, The Consumerist
  36. ^ CrummyCharterCable, www.youtube.com
  37. ^ Clark Howard, www.ClarkHoward.com
  38. ^ The 19 Most Hated Companies in America, www.ClarkHoward.com
  39. ^ Charter Cable Backs Down in Tornado Debacle, www.ClarkHoward.com
  40. ^ Charter Sucks, www.Charter-Sucks.com
  41. ^ Charter sweeps PC Magazine's Fastest ISP awards, pcmag.com
  42. ^ cablefax.com
  43. ^ 2007 MSO of the Year: Charter—Back From the Brink: Cable Fax Magazine, cable360.net
  44. ^ 19 St. Louis companies named "Best Places to Work" - St. Louis Business Journal, bizjournals.com
  45. ^ a b http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Charter-Communications-Inc-Company-History.html
  46. ^ "Charter Communications Announces Agreement to Sell Systems Serving Approximately 43,700 Customers; Subsidiaries of Orange Broadband Holding Company, LLC to Purchase Charter Assets" (Press release). Charter Communications. 2006-03-22. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
  47. ^ Saint Louis - Business and Technology News
  48. ^ Midcontinent Communications, midcocomm.com
  49. ^ http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112298&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1486159&highlight=
  50. ^ American City Business Journals, Inc., bizjournals.com
  51. ^ Charter Communications News Release
  52. ^ [2] Charter/Tivo deal
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