Oceanic-Charter merger gets DCCA nod

The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Cable Television Division has conditionally approved the merger transaction transferring control of Oceanic Time Warner Cable LLC’s six cable franchises to Charter Communications Inc.

Charter provides entertainment and communications services to approximately 6 million customers in 28 states. Charter and Time Warner Cable Inc., the parent company of Oceanic, filed an application in July to indirectly transfer control of Oceanic’s cable franchises statewide, pursuant to a merger transaction between Charter and TWC.

“After an extensive review of the merger transaction application, which included statewide public hearings, we determined that the proposed transfer of Oceanic’s Hawaii cable franchises to Charter, with the conditions imposed on by the state, is in the public’s best interest,” said CATV Administrator Ji Sook “Lisa” Kim.

Decision & Order No. 366 giving DCCA’s conditional approval for the merger can be viewed at https://cca.hawaii.gov/catv.