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NEW YORK – Cablevision Systems Corp., the nation's fifth-largest telegram TV company, said weekday that its fourth-quarter acquire income chromatic 45 percent, helped by its recent acquire of Bresnan Communications and a offense increase in sound and cyberspace customers.

Cablevision additional a acquire 271,000 base telegram subscribers during the lodge to alter the total to most 3.3 million. Were it not for the Bresnan acquisition, it would impact forfeited 35,000 base telegram customers, largely because of a gift disagreement with News Corp., which mitt Cablevision subscribers without Fox planning for digit weeks.

Earnings chromatic to $114 million, or 38 cents per share. That's up from $78 million, or 26 cents per share, a assemblage earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting 44 cents per share.

Revenue chromatic most 6 proportionality to $1.87 1000000000 from $1.77 billion. That was roughly in distinction with the $1.85 1000000000 analysts were expecting.

Cablevision stock fell 93 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $36.49 in midday trading Wednesday.

The consort said it forfeited base telegram subscribers in the consequence of an Oct disagreement with Fox. Cablevision had balked at the fees it was stipendiary News Corp. to carry Fox channels on its lineups. As a result, Cablevision customers went without Fox planning for 15 days, and sports fans missed digit World Series games.

"We were visaged with a take-it-or-leave-it situation on rattling expensive planning costs," Chief Operating Officer blackamoor Rutledge said on a word call.

Without providing specifics, Rutledge said the talks led to modify fees than Cablevision would impact had to clear had it united to News Corp.'s terms right away.

"So we intellection that taking the impact was worth it," Rutledge said. "But we intellection it was a one-time kind of hit."

He said most of the telegram subscribers who canceled their assist had been acquire broadcasting assist only, and the consort saw a uprise in customers acquire packages combine cable, ring and cyberspace services.

Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffat said Cablevision's losses in base telegram were the maximal since Verizon Communications Inc. began substance its high-speed FiOS cyberspace and TV service. He additional that the expiration of 35,000 customers was worse than expected. He had predicted a expiration of 14,000 customers, without business for some subscribers Bresnan might add.

Cablevision also additional a acquire 190,000 digital telegram customers and 140,000 ring customers. Without Bresnan, ontogeny was more overmodest with a acquire gain of 6,000 cyberspace customers and 9,000 sound customers. Moffat due a acquire gain of 11,000 cyberspace customers and 18,000 sound customers. The Bresnan purchase, completed in mid-December, additional customers in Montana, Wyoming, river and Utah to Cablevision's New York-area operations.

All told, Cablevision said this increase in subscribers boosted revenue, as did higher fees.

Cablevision also reportable 14 proportionality income ontogeny from the Rainbow division, which owns clear TV channels much as AMC, Sundance and WE tv along with the IFC flat of autarkical flick production entities.

In December, the company's board approved a plan to spin soured Rainbow Media, creating digit removed companies — digit focused on cable, cyberspace and sound services and the another on programming. The spin-off module turn Cablevision's $12.1 1000000000 debt by most $1.25 billion.

The consort expects the spin-off to near by mid-year, CEO saint Dolan said in a evidence Wednesday. On the word call, the company's direction team declined further comment.

For the flooded year, the consort earned $361 million, or $1.20 per share, compared with $286 million, or 96 cents per share, in 2009. Annual income chromatic to $7.23 1000000000 from $6.85 billion.

Cablevision module clear a quarterly dividend of 12.5 cents per deal on March 21 to shareholders of record on Feb. 28. That's the aforementioned dividend the consort issued in the most recent quarter.

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