8-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
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Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 5, 2015
Charter Communications, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
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001-33664 | | 43-1857213 |
(Commission File Number) | | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
400 Atlantic Street
Stamford, Connecticut 06901
(Address of principal executive offices including zip code)
(203) 905-7801
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
x Written communications pursuant Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
ITEM 8.01. OTHER EVENTS.
As previously announced, on May 23, 2015, Charter Communications, Inc. ("Charter" or the "Company") entered into an Agreement and Plan of Mergers (the “Merger Agreement”) with Time Warner Cable Inc. ("TWC"), CCH I, LLC (“New Charter”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company; Nina Corporation I, Inc., Nina Company II, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of New Charter; and Nina Company III, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of New Charter, pursuant to which the parties will engage in a series of transactions that will result in Charter and TWC becoming wholly owned subsidiaries of New Charter (the “TWC transactions”), on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. After giving effect to the TWC transactions, New Charter will be the new public company parent that will hold the operations of the combined companies.
Also as previously announced, on March 31, 2015, the Company entered into a definitive Contribution Agreement, which was amended on May 23, 2015 in connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, with Advance/Newhouse Partnership, A/NPC Holdings LLC, New Charter and Charter Communications Holdings, LLC, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, pursuant to which Charter would become the owner of the membership interests in Bright House Networks, LLC (“Bright House”) and any other assets (other than certain excluded assets and liabilities and non-operating cash) primarily related to Bright House (the “BHN transactions”).
In connection with the TWC transactions, Charter and Liberty Broadband Corporation ("Liberty") entered into an investment agreement, pursuant to which Liberty agreed to invest $4.3 billion in New Charter Class A common stock at the closing of the TWC transactions to partially finance the cash portion of the TWC transactions consideration. In connection with the BHN transactions, Liberty agreed to purchase at the closing of the BHN transactions $700 million of New Charter Class A common stock (or, if the mergers are not consummated prior to the completion of the BHN transactions, Charter Class A common stock) (collectively with the TWC transactions and BHN transactions, the "Transactions").
In connection with the Company's offering of $2.5 billion CCOH Safari, LLC notes to be used to partially fund the Transactions, the Company is filing this Current Report on Form 8-K in order to make available (i) the unaudited pro forma financial information of Charter as of September 30, 2015 and for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, which give effect to the Transactions on the basis described therein and (ii) the condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements of Bright House Networks, LLC and its subsidiaries as of and for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2015. The foregoing are attached hereto as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, respectively.
ITEM 9.01. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
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Exhibit Number | | Description |
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99.1 * | | Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Statements. |
99.2 * | | Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Bright House Networks, LLC and Subsidiaries as of and for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. |
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* filed herewith
Important Information For Investors And Shareholders
This Current Report does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. In connection with the proposed transaction between Time Warner Cable Inc. (“Time Warner Cable” or “TWC”) and Charter Communications, Inc. (“Charter”), Charter’s subsidiary, CCH I, LLC (“New Charter”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4 that includes a joint proxy statement of Charter and Time Warner Cable that also constitutes a prospectus of New Charter (the “Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus”). The registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on August 20, 2015, and Charter and Time Warner Cable commenced mailing the definitive Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus to their respective stockholders on or about August 20, 2015. This Current Report is not a substitute for the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus or registration statement or for any other document that Charter or Time Warner Cable may file with the SEC or send to Charter’s and/or Time Warner Cable’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transactions. On September 21, 2015, Charter's and Time Warner Cable's respective stockholders each approved the merger agreement at their respective special meetings. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF CHARTER AND TIME WARNER CABLE ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders are able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and the definitive Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by Charter, New Charter or Time Warner Cable through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Charter or New Charter are or will be available free of charge on Charter’s website at http://charter.com, in the “Investor and News Center” near the bottom of the page, or by contacting Charter’s Investor Relations Department at 203-905-7955. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Time Warner Cable are or will be available free of charge on Time Warner Cable’s website at http://ir.timewarnercable.com or by contacting Time Warner Cable’s Investor Relations Department at 877-446-3689.
Charter and Time Warner Cable and their respective directors and certain of their respective executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposed transactions under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Charter is set forth in the definitive Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, which was filed with the SEC on February 24, 2015, and its proxy statement for its 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 18, 2015. Information about the directors and executive officers of Time Warner Cable is set forth in the definitive Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, which was filed with the SEC on February 13, 2015, as amended April 27, 2015, its proxy statement for its 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on May 18, 2015 and its Current Reports on Form 8-K, which were filed with the SEC on June 1, 2015 and August 6, 2015. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Current Report includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, 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 SEC. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this Current Report 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”, “designed”, “create”, “predict”, “project”, “seek”, “would”, “could”, “continue”, “ongoing”, “upside”, “increases” and “potential”, among others. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this Current Report are set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports or documents that we file from time to time with the SEC, and include, but are not limited to:
Risks Related to the Time Warner Cable Inc. ("TWC") Transaction and Bright House Networks, LLC ("Bright House") Transaction (collectively, the "Transactions")
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• | delays in the completion of the Transactions; |
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• | the risk that a condition to completion of the Transactions may not be satisfied; |
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• | the risk that regulatory or other approvals that may be required for the Transactions is delayed, is not obtained or is obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; |
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• | New Charter’s ability to achieve the synergies and value creation contemplated by the TWC transactions and/or the BHN transactions; |
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• | New Charter’s ability to promptly, efficiently and effectively integrate acquired operations into its own operations; |
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• | managing a significantly larger company than before the completion of the Transactions; |
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• | diversion of management time on issues related to the Transactions; |
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• | changes in Charter’s, TWC’s or Bright House’s businesses, future cash requirements, capital requirements, results of operations, revenues, financial condition and/or cash flows; |
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• | disruption in the existing business relationships of Charter, TWC and Bright House as a result of the TWC transactions and/or the BHN transactions; |
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• | the increase in indebtedness as a result of the Transactions, which will increase interest expense and may decrease Charter’s operating flexibility; |
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• | changes in transaction costs, the amount of fees paid to financial advisors, potential termination fees and the potential payments to TWC’s and Bright House's executive officers in connection with the Transactions; |
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• | operating costs and business disruption that may be greater than expected; |
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• | the ability to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with providers or other business partners pending completion of the Transactions; and |
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• | the impact of competition. |
Risks Related to Our Business
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• | our ability to sustain and grow revenues and cash flow from operations by offering video, Internet, voice, advertising and other services to residential and commercial customers, to adequately meet the customer experience demands in our markets and to maintain and grow our customer base, particularly in the face of increasingly aggressive competition, the need for innovation and the related capital expenditures; |
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• | the impact of competition from other market participants, including but not limited to incumbent telephone companies, direct broadcast satellite operators, wireless broadband and telephone providers, digital subscriber line (“DSL”) providers, video provided over the Internet and providers of advertising over the Internet; |
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• | general business conditions, economic uncertainty or downturn, high unemployment levels and the level of activity in the housing sector; |
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• | 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); |
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• | the development and deployment of new products and technologies including our cloud-based user interface, Spectrum Guide®, and downloadable security for set-top boxes; |
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• | the effects of governmental regulation on our business or potential business combination transactions; |
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• | any events that disrupt our networks, information systems or properties and impair our operating activities and negatively impact our reputation; |
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• | 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, or (iii) access to the capital or credit markets; and |
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• | 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 Current Report.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Charter Communications, Inc. has duly caused this Current Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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| | CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC., |
| | Registrant |
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| | By: | | /s/ Kevin D. Howard |
| | | | Kevin D. Howard |
Date: November 5, 2015 | | | | Senior Vice President - Finance, Controller and |
| | | | Chief Accounting Officer |
EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit Number | | Description |
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99.1 * | | Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Statements. |
99.2 * | | Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Bright House Networks, LLC and Subsidiaries as of and for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. |
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* filed herewith