1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Description of Business
Time Warner Cable Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “TWC” or the “Company”) is among the largest providers of video, high-speed data and voice services in the U.S., with technologically advanced, well-clustered cable systems located mainly in five geographic areas – New York State (including New York City), the Carolinas, the Midwest (including Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin), Southern California (including Los Angeles) and Texas. TWC's mission is to connect its customers to the world—simply, reliably and with superior service. TWC offers video, high-speed data and voice services to residential and business services customers. TWC's residential services also include security and home management services, and TWC's business services also include networking and transport services (including cell tower backhaul services) and enterprise-class, cloud-enabled hosting, managed applications and services. TWC also sells video and online advertising inventory to a variety of local, regional and national customers.
On February 12, 2014, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Comcast Corporation (“Comcast”) whereby the Company agreed to merge with and into a 100% owned subsidiary of Comcast. Upon completion of the merger, all of the outstanding shares of the Company will be cancelled and each issued and outstanding share will be converted into the right to receive 2.875 shares of Class A common stock of Comcast. The merger is subject to the approval of the Company's and Comcast's stockholders, regulatory approvals and certain other closing conditions.
On January 13, 2014, Charter Communications, Inc. (“Charter”) made an unsolicited proposal to acquire the Company. After careful consideration, including a thorough review of the offer with its financial and legal advisors, TWC's Board of Directors (“TWC's Board”) unanimously determined that Charter's offer was grossly inadequate, substantially undervalued the Company and was not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. On February 11, 2014, Charter provided formal notice to the Company of its nomination of a slate of thirteen independent candidates for election to TWC's Board at the Company's 2014 annual meeting of stockholders. In addition to nominating the slate of independent candidates for election to TWC's Board, Charter also proposed that the stockholders amend the Company's by-laws to fix the size of TWC's Board at thirteen members and to repeal any amendments to the by-laws that were adopted by TWC's Board without stockholder approval after July 26, 2012.
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include all of the assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and cash flows of TWC and all entities in which TWC has a controlling voting interest. The consolidated financial statements include the results of the Time Warner Entertainment-Advance/Newhouse Partnership (“TWE-A/N”) only for the TWE-A/N cable systems that are controlled by TWC and for which TWC holds an economic interest. Intercompany accounts and transactions between consolidated companies have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates inherent in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements include accounting for allowances for doubtful accounts, depreciation and amortization, business combinations, derivative financial instruments, pension benefits, equity-based compensation, income taxes, loss contingencies, certain programming arrangements and asset impairments. Allocation methodologies used to prepare the consolidated financial statements are based on estimates and have been described in the notes, where appropriate.
Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial information to conform to the current year presentation.