Altice/Cablevision Gets More Support in New York

(see 1605200070). The Communications Workers of America, which initially opposed the deal, said Tuesday that PSC approval with the proposed conditions would meet the interests of its members and the wider public. State Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj (D) said the recommended conditions “build on Cablevision's legacy of investment in the Bronx by requiring Altice to offer faster broadband speeds and a low cost broadband option to lower income New Yorkers.” Another Democratic Assembly member, Didi Barrett, said she's pleased the conditions address broadband deployment in rural areas. In comments dated May 24, the supervisor of Babylon, a New York town hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, applauded conditions on storm preparedness and response. But Entravision restated its concerns the deal will hurt Latino consumers and programming providers (see 1605100038). “The public interest demands that Altice be required, as a condition of merger, to engage relevant minority groups in the Cablevision service areas to develop a memorandum of understanding similar to the MOU in effect in California and before the FCC,” the Latino media company said. Altice and Cablevision accepted the advisory staff’s proposed conditions with one minor clarification, while noting in joint comments that the conditions are “more expansive” than the companies’ voluntary commitments. It’s time to approve the deal, they said. “The record in this proceeding has been developed carefully and fully, and Joint Petitioners believe that the Commission now possesses ample information to evaluate the merits of the proposed transaction and find it to be in the public interest.” The PSC is to rule on the deal June 16.