Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016 - 14

2016 Top Ops Awards
INDEPENDENT OPERATOR OF THE YEAR
Cincinnati Bell
While some larger operators are still trying to get their ducks in a row
to launch skinny bundles, Cincinnati Bell made headlines in 2016 for
its launch of MyTV, with the starter bundle retailing for $30 a month.
" It was really our desire to offer more fl exibility to our customers "
that brought about the launch, says Michael Morrison, director
of content & consumer product marketing strategy. " Historically
there has been a $20 option, which is just basically anything free
over-the-antenna-and then your next option is 65 or 75 bucks. So,
we really built this to fi ll in that huge gap between 20 bucks and
70 bucks-and offer customers more fl exibility. Customers have
responded well to it. "
But if you think Cincinnati Bell only impressed us with its willingness
to weigh in to fl exible packaging waters, you'd be mistaken. When
Cincinnati Bell purchased the city of Lebanon, Ohio's telecommunications
system in 2007, it served 4,000 customers. Today it has
120,000. Management credits that growth with the launch of its
fi ber to the home product, Fioptics. " Our biggest challenge is not
being able to build fi ber our fast enough, " says Morrison.
By year-end, the operator expects to have fi ber available to about
60 percent of the Cincinnati area and 65 to 70 percent by the end of
2017. Just this past June, the Fiber to the Home Council Americas
awarded Cincinnati Bell with its Star Award, which recognizes a
person, community or company that has gone above and beyond
what is expected in the advancement of fi ber to the home. " The
reason why fi ber buildout is so important to us is that we want to
own the customer experience in the home through delivering the
speeds required to support our Fioptics products, or to support other
connected products the customer is enabling in the home, " explains
Christi Cornette, svp, corporate marketing for Cincinnati Bell.
Growing those relationships has required some creativity. Last year,
the operator launched its " Connect Cincinnati " app, which let users
access free WiFi in public venues. But to get the free Internet, they
must download the app. In turn, the app connects users with local
businesses who use it to offer coupons, promotions and contests.
Cincinnati Bell customers who sign into the app get additional deals
and offers. " At this point, we have 80,000 users on the app with 60
percent of those return users. We're pretty excited about that, " says
Cornette. " We have about 200 businesses on the app today and a
signifi cant backlog of people waiting to get on. "
Instead of waiting for larger operators to blaze a path, it's in Cincinnati
Bell's DNA to lead. " Because we are small, we have to think
outside the box. " says Cornette.
It's now facing a new competitor with Charter's acquisition of Time
Warner Cable. And while Morrison doesn't discount Tom Rutledge and
team as a worthy competitor, he expects Cincinnati Bell's nimbleness
to give it the advantage. " One edge independent operators have is
they can get hyper-focused in the areas they serve, " Morrison says.
" That's how we approached competing with Time Warner, and how
we'll approach competing with Charter. "
Game on.
FAST FACTS
Executive Team: From bottom right (clockwise) Christi Cornette, SVP,
Corporate Marketing; Ted Torbeck, President and CEO; Tom Simpson,
CTO; Jason Praeter, VP - Consumer and SMB Sales; Leigh Fox, CFO
14
cablefaxmag.com
uCincinnati Bell debuted its skinny bundle " MyTV "
packages in March with a " Love TV Again with MyTV "
marketing campagin.
uThe starter bundle includes 38 channels, such as
AMC, History, broadcast and on demand options.
uThe operator soft launched its Connect Cincinnati app
just before last year's MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati.
July 2016
Cablefax: The Magazine
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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016

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