
“We can’t keep it in the dark!”—Satellite provider pulls out of Cox business, says CEO
In the wake of a federal investigation into whether the company misled customers about their service, Cox Communications Corp. said it was pulling out of the business of providing satellite TV services to more than 1.6 million customers and cutting more than 600 jobs.
The move is one of several moves in recent months by the company to cut costs and trim its workforce as it tries to turn around a business that has lost more than $2 billion since 2010.
Cox said it had agreed to pay a $3 million penalty to the Justice Department over the matter and agreed to take another $2 million to $4 million in severance payments.
The company also said it would pay $50 million in civil penalties to the federal government.
The announcement Tuesday was the latest in a series of steps the company has taken to reduce its costs and improve its performance.
The telecom giant is one the biggest players in the satellite television business, with the majority of its subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
But it has faced growing criticism in recent years over a lack of competition and its treatment of customers.
The Justice Department’s investigation into Cox came in early 2018, when the U,S.
government levied a $5 billion penalty against the company over allegations that it violated antitrust laws by selling off customer accounts to foreign rivals.
The government also accused Cox of violating antitrust laws in the United Kingdom, where the company is based.
The Cox investigation was the result of a three-year investigation by the Justice Dept. into whether Cox had misled consumers about its satellite TV service.
In its statement Tuesday, Cox said that it “had reached a final agreement to purchase a satellite TV provider that will be able to provide Cox customers with the same quality of service we offer today, and we are excited to be a part of the future of Cox.”
The company said it plans to “retain our existing satellite TV business as we move forward with the transition.”
“We are proud of the work we’ve done to improve our customer experience over the last decade, and are confident in our commitment to delivering a seamless, competitive and quality customer experience,” Cox CEO David Smith said in the statement.
“We look forward to working with our customers in the future and are looking forward to continuing to work with the Department of Justice to ensure we do everything possible to stay focused on delivering the best value for customers.”
The move comes after Cox announced last year that it would cut nearly 2,300 jobs, or almost 40 percent of its workforce.
The cuts were announced as Cox announced it was selling its TV satellite service to a new satellite TV company.
The new company, Sling TV, is being overseen by Comcast.
“Today, we are proud to announce that Cox will purchase the remaining portion of the Sling service business and will be exiting the satellite TV segment,” Cox said in a statement Tuesday.
“Sling TV will remain an important part of Cox’s business as it continues to develop and scale its broadband and data services offerings.
Cox is also excited to continue working with Sling to help it bring its services to even more of our customers.”