Knology Inc.'s financial challenges might shake the confidence of some in the company's commitment to growing its Pinellas County cable TV operations, which it acquired from Verizon Americast in December.
But during a conference call Wednesday with Wall Street analysts, top executives at the West Point, Ga., cable company made it clear that they consider Pinellas a top priority.
While the company has launched an ad campaign to familiarize local residents with the Knology brand, "we really haven't gone out yet and done a meaningful (customer) acquisition marketing effort," Knology president and chief executive Rodger Johnson said.
That, Johnson said, will come once the company begins rolling out telephone service in Pinellas in the third quarter. Then Knology will be able to market its services in Pinellas as it does in its other established markets in the Southeast: by offering bundled cable TV, high-speed Internet and phone services at a modest discount.
"We believe the Pinellas County market ... represents a significant growth opportunity for us," Johnson said.
It had better: Knology posted a net loss of $87.8-million in 2003 and an additional loss of $18.4-million in the first quarter this year.
As Knology chief financial officer Rob Mills acknowledged on the conference call, "Our growth in revenue and (earnings) will obviously be significantly influenced by the performance of the Pinellas County market."
