Charter to Swap 15K Subs With James Cable

Charter Communications said Tuesday that it has agreed to swap small cable systems in Georgia and Alabama with about 15,000 customers with James Cable.

Charter will trade its Douglas, Ga., system with about 5,500 customers to James in an even exchange for James properties surrounding Eatonton, Ga., and Roanoke and Gu-Win, Ala., with about 9,500 subscribers. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

"Consistent with Charter's strategy, we continue to enhance our already well-clustered operations in key states like Georgia and Alabama," Charter president of operations Steven Apodaca said in a statement. "We appreciated the time we have served Douglas and know that these customers will be in good hands. Charter looks forward to building on the products and services James Cable offers in the new communities we will serve."

After the close of this deal and certain other pending transactions, Charter will have more than 500,000 customers in Georgia and Alabama.

"The Douglas system is a great fit with our existing operations in Georgia," James Cable CEO Kate Adams said in a statement. "The Charter team has built an impressive operation in Douglas and we look forward to building on their success."

James Cable, which operates many of its systems under the CommuniCom name, passes about 133,000 homes in rural parts of Louisiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Wyoming.