• | GCI and Liberty Interactive Corporation have announced that they are combining GCI’s operations with certain assets of Liberty Ventures Group, one of Liberty Interactive’s tracking stock groups. This transaction will result in the creation of a new company to be called GCI Liberty. The GCI-Liberty Interactive agreement was signed on April 4, 2017. |
• | Dr. John Malone, a cable television pioneer, has a significant interest in Liberty Interactive, as well as in Liberty Media and Liberty Global. Dr. Malone was a major backer of GCI early in the company’s history. |
• | GCI will be the largest operating asset in GCI Liberty, representing 25% of the total asset value of the new company. The Liberty Ventures assets contributed to GCI Liberty will include a minority equity stake in Charter Communications, the second largest cable company in the United States. |
• | The existing GCI management team, led by Ron Duncan, will continue to run GCI’s business from Anchorage. |
• | GCI’s mission to provide value to customers, growth for investors, and opportunities for employees will continue. |
• | Liberty Interactive made an unsolicited proposal to GCI. |
• | After careful consideration of the proposal, the GCI Board of Directors authorized negotiations with Liberty Interactive. A special committee of the Board was appointed to manage the negotiation process. |
• | The Board and GCI management believe that the transaction is a win for shareholders, employees, and customers. The transaction will: |
◦ | Benefit GCI shareholders by: |
(i) | Immediately realizing the value that the entire GCI team has built over nearly 40 years. |
(ii) | Enabling future value growth as GCI continues to grow pursuant to the GCI 400 Plan and the Liberty Ventures assets increase in value. |
(iii) | Reducing risk by geographically diversifying GCI beyond Alaska. |
◦ | Provide all of us GCI employees the opportunity to carry out our existing business plan with our existing leadership team plus the backing of a much larger company. |
◦ | Better position GCI, as part of a larger company, to compete, innovate, and serve its customers here in Alaska and in the lower 48. |
• | Each GCI shareholder will receive equity in GCI Liberty. For each share of his or her GCI common stock, a GCI shareholder will receive approximately $32.50 of GCI Liberty stock -- $27.50 in GCI Liberty class A common stock and $5.00 in GCI Liberty preferred stock. Unvested stock award shares will be handled in the same manner. |
• | GCI Liberty’s common stock and preferred stock will both be publicly traded. |
• | Liberty Interactive and GCI investors will both have representatives on GCI Liberty’s board of directors. |
• | The transaction requires a number of legal and financial steps plus regulatory review at the federal and state level. |
• | GCI management expects that the transaction will close by the first quarter of 2018. |
• | GCI’s current shareholders will receive common and preferred shares in GCI Liberty in exchange for their existing shares of GCI’s common stock. |
• | The GCI Board will be replaced by a new GCI Liberty board. Ron Duncan and Donne Fisher, former GCI Board chairman, will serve on the new board. |
• | GCI’s CEO and Management Team. Ron Duncan and the existing team will continue to lead GCI’s business. |
• | GCI’s Mission. We will continue to create value for our customers, opportunities for our employees, and growth for our shareholders. |
• | GCI’s Dedication to Alaska. We will continue to be Alaska’s trailblazer. We will lead the deployment of new technology and products to connect all our neighbors in the state. |
• | GCI’s Declaration of Principles and Basic Principles. Our values will stay the same. |
• | GCI’s Commitment to the GCI 400 Plan. We will continue to increase efficiency and effectiveness in pursuit of GCI 400. |