New York PSC Revokes OK of Charter/TWC, Seeks Civil Penalties

New York Public Service commissioners voted 3-0 to revoke the state's 2016 conditional approval of Charter Communications’ buy of Time Warner Cable, directing the acquirer to submit a transition plan within 60 days. At a Friday special session, commissioners also voted 3-0 for an order directing PSC counsel to begin a civil enforcement case against Charter in New York Supreme Court seeking civil financial penalties for past failures.

The PSC denied the company's requests to reconsider the agency’s previous orders saying Charter missed broadband deployment targets that were conditions of the transaction OK. The cable ISP argues it exceeded broadband targets. At the meeting, the PSC said the company inappropriately counted passings in New York City when the commission wanted the company to count passings in less densely populated areas.

Charter's Spectrum brand "has extended the reach of our advanced broadband network to more than 86,000 New York homes and businesses since our merger agreement with the PSC," Charter said in a statement. The operator and its employees "remain focused on delivering faster and better broadband to more New Yorkers, as we promised,” it added.