Windstream Services (CSAL) 10-Q2019 Q3 Quarterly report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: NONE

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

As of May 14, 2020, 43,018,736 shares of common stock of Windstream Holdings, Inc. were outstanding. Windstream Holdings, Inc. holds a 100 percent interest in Windstream Services, LLC.

This Form 10-Q is a combined quarterly report being filed separately by two registrants: Windstream Holdings, Inc. and Windstream Services, LLC. Windstream Services, LLC is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Windstream Holdings, Inc. Unless the context indicates otherwise, the use of the terms “Windstream,” “we,” “us” or “our” shall refer to Windstream Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Windstream Services, LLC, and the term “Windstream Services” shall refer to Windstream Services, LLC and its subsidiaries.

Consumer service revenues are generated from the provisioning of high-speed Internet, voice and video services to consumers. Enterprise service revenues include revenues from integrated voice and data services, advanced data and traditional voice and long-distance services provided to enterprise, mid-market and small business customers. Wholesale revenues include revenues from other communications services providers for special access circuits and fiber connections, voice and data transport services, and revenues from the reselling of our services. Service revenues also include switched access revenues, federal and state Universal Service Fund (“USF”) revenues, amounts received from Connect America Fund (“CAF”) - Phase II, USF surcharges and revenues from providing other miscellaneous services.

Windstream Holdings and its domestic subsidiaries, including Windstream Services, file a consolidated federal income tax return. As such, Windstream Services and its subsidiaries are not separate taxable entities for federal and certain state income tax purposes. In instances when Windstream Services does not file a separate return, income taxes as presented within the accompanying consolidated financial statements attribute current and deferred income taxes of Windstream Holdings to Windstream Services and its subsidiaries in a manner that is systematic, rational and consistent with the asset and liability method. Income tax provisions presented for Windstream Services and its subsidiaries are prepared under the “separate return method.” The separate return method represents a hypothetical computation assuming that the reported revenue and expenses of Windstream Services and its subsidiaries were incurred by separate taxable entities.

The preparation of financial statements, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The estimates and assumptions used in the accompanying consolidated financial statements are based upon management’s evaluation of the relevant facts and circumstances as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. Actual results may differ from the estimates and assumptions used in preparing the accompanying consolidated financial statements, and such differences could be material.

There are no significant differences between the consolidated results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows of Windstream Holdings and those of Windstream Services other than for certain expenses incurred directly by Windstream Holdings principally consisting of audit, legal and board of director fees, common stock listing fees, other shareholder-related costs, income taxes, common stock activity, and payables from Windstream Services to Windstream Holdings. Earnings per share data has not been presented for Windstream Services because that entity has not issued publicly held common stock as defined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Unless otherwise indicated, the note disclosures included herein pertain to both Windstream Holdings and Windstream Services.

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year financial statement presentation. These changes and reclassifications did not impact net loss or comprehensive loss.

On January 1, 2019, we adopted ASU 2016-02 using the modified retrospective transition method. Under the modified retrospective transition method, we recognized the cumulative effect of initial adoption as an adjustment to our opening accumulated deficit balance at the adoption date. Comparative information for prior periods has not been restated and continues to be reported in accordance with Topic 840.

We elected the practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within ASU 2016-02 which, among other things, allowed us to carry forward the historical lease classification for capital and operating leases. We also elected the practical expedient related to land easements, allowing us to carry forward our accounting treatment for land easements on existing agreements. As a practical expedient, we elected not to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for leases with a term of 12 months or less.

Exclusive of our contractual arrangement with Uniti Group, Inc. (“Uniti”) described below, our existing operating lease portfolio primarily consists of fiber, colocation, real estate and equipment leases. Upon adoption of this standard, we recorded an additional lease liability of $408.4 million attributable to our operating leases based on the present value of the remaining minimum lease payments with an increase to leased assets or right-of-use assets of $382.5 million in our consolidated balance sheet. Included in the operating right-of-use assets is $6.6 million of previously recorded prepaid rent and $6.7 million in deferred rent arising from non-level rent payments. The difference between these amounts was recorded as an adjustment to our accumulated deficit.

We also recorded a cumulative effect adjustment of approximately $3.0 billion decreasing our accumulated deficit due to reassessing the accounting treatment of our arrangement with Uniti and certain of its subsidiaries. The transaction with Uniti had been accounted for as a failed spin-leaseback financing arrangement for financial reporting purposes due to prohibited continuing involvement. Under ASU 2016-02, the previous forms of prohibited continuing involvement no longer preclude the application of spin-leaseback accounting to the contractual arrangement. As a result, we de-recognized the remaining net book value of assets transferred to Uniti of approximately $1.3 billion, recognized a right-of-use asset of approximately $3.9 billion equaling the adjusted Uniti liability, which decreased by $0.7 billion and recorded a deferred tax liability of approximately $0.3 billion in accordance with the standard’s transition guidance as this arrangement is now accounted for as an operating lease.

During the second quarter of 2019, management identified an immaterial error in the cumulative effect adjustment recorded related to Windstream’s adoption of ASU 2016-02. Specifically, the net book value of certain assets transferred to Uniti had not been properly de-recognized as of January 1, 2019, resulting in an overstatement of net property, plant and equipment of $33.8 million, an overstatement of deferred income tax liabilities of $8.5 million and an overstatement of the cumulative effect adjustment recorded to accumulated deficit of $25.3 million. The accompanying consolidated statement of shareholders’ deficit for the period January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2019 has been revised to correct for this error. As a result, the cumulative effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-02 changed from the previously reported amount of $3,038.3 million to $3,013.0 million.

In adopting ASU 2016-02, we also reassessed our accounting treatment for the December 2018 sale of certain fiber assets in Minnesota to Arvig Enterprises, Inc. accounted for as a financing transaction due to our continuing involvement. ASU 2016-02 no longer precludes partial sale recognition. As a result, we de-recognized $7.5 million net book value for the portion of the fiber assets Windstream no longer controls and the related $41.5 million financing lease obligation. The difference between these amounts was recorded as an adjustment to our accumulated deficit.

The following table presents the cumulative effect of the changes made to our consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2018:

Due in part to recording the $3.0 billion cumulative effect adjustment to equity presented above and the resulting increase in the carrying value of our reporting units, we recorded a pre-tax goodwill impairment charge of $2.3 billion in the first quarter of 2019. See Note 3 for additional information pertaining to the goodwill impairment charge.

The impact of adoption of ASU 2016-02 on our 2019 consolidated statement of operations is as follows:

As presented in the tables above, the increases in cost of services were due to the recognition of annual straight-line expense attributable to the contractual arrangement with Uniti. The decreases in depreciation expense resulted from de-recognizing the remaining net book value of network assets transferred to Uniti and the decreases in interest expense were due to no longer accounting for the contractual arrangement with Uniti as a failed spin-leaseback financing arrangement.

 

As a result of the change in accounting for our arrangement with Uniti from a financing to an operating lease, our consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 reflected a decrease in operating cash flows of $156.7 million attributable to no longer classifying a portion of the cash rental payments made to Uniti as a financing outflow as was the case for periods prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-02 as well as a reduction in reported cash paid for interest of $337.2 million.

On February 15, 2019, Judge Jesse Furman of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued findings of fact and conclusions of law in litigation relating to a noteholder’s allegations that our spin-off of certain assets in 2015 into a publicly-traded real estate investment trust resulted in one or more defaults of certain covenants under one of Windstream Services’ existing indentures. The findings resulted in a cross default under Windstream Services’ senior secured credit agreement governing its secured term and revolving loan obligations and remaining obligations under the contractual arrangement with Uniti. In addition, the findings resulted in a cross-acceleration event of default under the indentures governing Windstream Services’ other series of secured and unsecured notes. As a result, all long-term debt and remaining obligations under the contractual arrangement with Uniti were classified as current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018.

The Chapter 11 Cases are being jointly administered under the caption In re Windstream Holdings, Inc., et al., No 19-22312 (RDD). We will continue to operate our businesses as “debtors-in-possession” under the jurisdiction of the Bankruptcy Court and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and orders of the Bankruptcy Court.

In general, as debtors-in-possession under the Bankruptcy Code, we are authorized to continue to operate as an ongoing business, however, we may not engage in transactions outside the ordinary course of business without the prior approval of the Bankruptcy Court. Pursuant to first day motions filed with the Bankruptcy Court, the Bankruptcy Court authorized us to conduct our business activities in the ordinary course, including, among other things and subject to the terms and conditions of such orders, authorizing us to: obtain debtor-in-possession financing, pay certain employee wages and benefits, and pay certain vendors and suppliers in the ordinary course for most goods and services.

Subject to certain exceptions, under the Bankruptcy Code, the Debtors may assume, assign, or reject certain executory contracts and unexpired leases subject to the approval of the Bankruptcy Court and certain other conditions. Generally, the rejection of an executory contract or unexpired lease is treated as a pre-petition breach of such executory contract or unexpired lease and, subject to certain exceptions, relieves the Debtors from performing their future obligations under such executory contract or unexpired lease but entitles the contract counterparty or lessor to a pre-petition general unsecured claim for damages caused by such deemed breach. Generally, the assumption of an executory contract or unexpired lease requires the Debtors to cure existing monetary defaults under such executory contract or unexpired lease and provide adequate assurance of future performance. Accordingly, any description of an executory contract or unexpired lease with the Debtors discussed herein, including a quantification of the Debtors’ obligations under any such executory contract or unexpired lease, is qualified by any overriding rejection rights the Debtors have under the Bankruptcy Code.

The acceleration of the 2023 Notes resulted in an event of default under the contractual arrangement with Uniti but no default notice has been received. Upon an event of default, remedies available to Uniti include terminating the contractual arrangement and requiring us to transfer the business operations we conduct on the telecommunication network assets so terminated (with limited exceptions) to a successor party for fair market value pursuant to a process set forth in the contractual arrangement, dispossessing us from the telecommunication network assets, and/or collecting monetary damages for the breach (including payment acceleration), electing to leave the contractual arrangement in place and sue for payment and any other monetary damages, and seeking any and all other rights and remedies available under law or in equity. The exercise of such remedies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and liquidity. Uniti’s ability to exercise remedies under the contractual arrangement was stayed as of the date of the Chapter 11 petition filing.

In connection with the Chapter 11 Cases, the Debtors analyzed the arrangement with Uniti, and on July 25, 2019, the Debtors filed a complaint, in the Bankruptcy Court seeking, among other things, to recharacterize the Uniti arrangement from a lease to a financing. The complaint contained additional claims that certain transfers from Windstream to Uniti were fraudulent transfers under the applicable Bankruptcy Code provisions, and finally, that Uniti was in breach of the arrangement by engaging in competitive behavior in violation of certain provisions in the arrangement. After engaging in a seven months-long mediation process with Uniti and its creditors regarding the litigation, that was overseen by the Honorable Judge Shelly C. Chapman, on March 2, 2020, Windstream announced an agreement in principle with Uniti to settle any and all claims and causes that were or could have been asserted against Uniti by Windstream, including seeking the recharacterization of the lease to a financing. Among the terms of the settlement, Uniti agreed to fund up to $1.75 billion in capital improvements to the network; pay Windstream $400 million payable in quarterly cash installments over five years, at an annual interest rate of 9.0 percent, which amount may be fully paid after one year, resulting in total cash payments ranging from $432 - $490 million; and purchase, for $40 million, certain Windstream-owned fiber assets, including certain fiber indefeasible rights of use (“IRU”) contracts with Windstream transferring to Uniti certain dark fiber IRU contracts. Uniti will also transfer to Windstream $244.5 million of proceeds from, and conditioned upon, the sale of Uniti’s common stock to certain first lien creditors of Windstream Services. Annual rental payments will be equal to the annual rent due under the existing master lease agreement. On the one-year anniversary of any growth capital improvements funded by Uniti, the annual base rent payable by Windstream will increase by an amount equal to 8.0 percent of such investment, subject to a 0.5 percent annual escalator.

In conjunction with the announcement, Windstream filed a motion seeking approval from the Bankruptcy Court of the proposed settlement, and a hearing on the motion was held on May 7-8, 2020, at which time the Bankruptcy Court approved the settlement with Uniti. The approved settlement is subject to certain regulatory approvals and conditions precedent, including Uniti's receipt of satisfactory "true lease" and REIT opinions, which remain outstanding. Until all conditions are satisfied, there is no guarantee that the settlement with Uniti will be consummated.

On March 2, 2020, the Debtors entered into a Plan Support Agreement (the “PSA”) with certain members of first lien lenders and noteholders, including the Debtors’ largest creditor, Elliott Investment Management L.P. (“Elliott”), and Uniti. The PSA contemplates the Debtors’ restructuring and recapitalization (the “Restructuring Transactions”), which will be implemented through a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization (the “Plan”). The PSA provided for, among other things: (1) reduction of Windstream’s existing funded debt by more than $4 billion upon emergence of the Chapter 11 Cases, (2) reduction of Windstream’s annual debt service obligations, and (3) access to exit financing consistent with terms set forth in the PSA. Pursuant to the PSA, participating parties agreed to, among other things, support the Restructuring Transactions and vote in favor of the Plan. The PSA, as amended, has support across the Debtors’ capital structure, and participating parties include 94 percent of first lien claims, 54 percent of second lien claims, 39 percent of unsecured notes claims, and 72 percent of holders of 6.375 percent Senior Notes due 2028 (the “Midwest Notes”).

On March 2, 2020, the Debtors publicly filed the PSA and accompanying plan term sheet (the “Plan Term Sheet”), outlining the terms of the reorganization, including funding an exit facility in an aggregate amount up to $3,250 million (the “New Exit Facility”) and backstop commitments from certain first lien creditors (the “Backstop Commitment Agreement”) related to a $750 million common equity rights offering upon the effective date (the “Rights Offering”). On March 13, 2020, the Debtors filed a motion to approve the Backstop Commitment Agreement, providing for a backstop premium equal to 8 percent of the $750 million committed amount payable in common stock (the “Backstop Premium”), which agreement was approved by the Bankruptcy Court at a hearing on May 8, 2020, subject to an adjustment, required by the Bankruptcy Court, that in the event that Windstream’s proposed plan of reorganization is not confirmed, the Backstop Premium shall be reduced to 4 percent, or $30 million. Among other items, the PSA is conditioned upon the consummation of the settlement with Uniti. Accordingly, there is no guarantee that the Debtors will consummate the PSA.

In order for the Debtors to emerge successfully from Chapter 11, the Debtors must obtain the required votes of creditors accepting a plan of reorganization as well as the Bankruptcy Court’s confirmation of such plan. A reorganization plan determines the rights and satisfaction of claims of various creditors and security holders and is subject to the ultimate outcome of negotiations and Bankruptcy Court decisions ongoing through the date on which the reorganization plan is confirmed.

On April 1, 2020, the Debtors filed a Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization (“the Plan”) with the Bankruptcy Court. As of September 30, 2019, the Debtors filed a Disclosure Statement relating to the Plan, along with a motion seeking approval of the Disclosure Statement. On May 6, 2020, an amended Disclosure Statement was filed with the Bankruptcy Court that included ranges of allowed claims by creditor classes. As of December 31, 2019, the Debtors have adjusted their recorded liabilities to amounts consistent with the estimates ranges specified in the Disclosure Statement. At a hearing held on May 8, 2020, the Disclosure Statement was approved by the Bankruptcy Court, allowing the Company to begin soliciting the requisite accepting votes in favor of the Plan. The Debtors retain the exclusive right to file the Plan through and including June 22, 2020, as well as the right to seek further extensions of such period up to the statutory maximum date of August 25, 2020. The Plan can be supplemented and revised based upon discussions with the Debtors’ creditors and other interested parties and in response to creditor claims and objections and the requirements of the Bankruptcy Code or the Bankruptcy Court. There can be no assurance that the Debtors will be able to secure requisite accepting votes for the Plan or that confirmation of the Plan by the Bankruptcy Court will occur.

On June 24, 2020, the Bankruptcy Court is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing to consider the approval of the Debtors’ Plan. The Plan will be subject to usual and customary conditions to plan confirmation, including obtaining the requisite vote of creditors and approval of the Bankruptcy Court. The Plan memorializes the terms agreed to in the PSA and Plan Term Sheet, providing for, among other things: