Grizzly Merger Sub 1 (GLIBP) 10-K2019 FY Annual report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

For the transition period from                to                

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

GCI LIBERTY, INC.

2019 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

Table of Contents

PART I

Item 1. Business.

On April 4, 2017, Liberty Interactive Corporation, now known as Qurate Retail, Inc. ("Qurate Retail"), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (as amended, the "reorganization agreement" and the transactions contemplated thereby, the "Transactions") with General Communication, Inc. ("GCI"), an Alaska corporation, and Liberty Interactive LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Qurate Retail ("LI LLC"). Pursuant to the reorganization agreement, GCI amended and restated its articles of incorporation (which resulted in GCI being renamed GCI Liberty, Inc. ("GCI Liberty")) and effected a reclassification and auto conversion of its common stock. Following these events, Qurate Retail acquired GCI Liberty on March 9, 2018 through a reorganization in which certain Qurate Retail interests, assets and liabilities attributed to its Ventures Group (following the reattribution by Qurate Retail of certain assets and liabilities from its Ventures Group to its QVC Group) were contributed to GCI Liberty in exchange for a controlling interest in GCI Liberty (the "contribution"). Qurate Retail and LI LLC contributed to GCI Liberty their entire equity interests in Liberty Broadband Corporation ("Liberty Broadband"), Charter Communications, Inc. ("Charter"), and LendingTree, Inc. ("LendingTree"), the Evite, Inc. ("Evite") operating business and other assets and liabilities (collectively, "HoldCo"), in exchange for (a) the issuance to LI LLC of a number of shares of GCI Liberty Class A common stock and a number of shares of GCI Liberty Class B common stock equal to the number of outstanding shares of Qurate Retail's Series A Liberty Ventures common stock and Qurate Retail's Series B Liberty Ventures common stock on March 9, 2018, respectively, (b) cash and (c) the assumption of certain liabilities by GCI Liberty.

The contribution was treated as a reverse acquisition under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). For accounting purposes, HoldCo is considered to have acquired GCI Liberty in the contribution based, among other considerations, upon the fact that in exchange for the contribution of HoldCo, Qurate Retail received a controlling interest in the combined company of GCI Liberty.

Following the contribution and acquisition of GCI Liberty, Qurate Retail effected a tax free separation of its controlling interest in the combined company, GCI Liberty, to the holders of Qurate Retail's Liberty Ventures common stock in full redemption of all outstanding shares of such stock (the "HoldCo Split-Off"), in which each outstanding share of Qurate Retail's Series A Liberty Ventures common stock was redeemed for one share of GCI Liberty Class A common stock and each outstanding share of Qurate Retail's Series B Liberty Ventures common stock was redeemed for one share of GCI Liberty Class B common stock. In July 2018, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") completed its review of the HoldCo Split-Off and informed Qurate Retail that it agreed with the nontaxable characterization of the transactions. Qurate Retail received an Issue Resolution Agreement from the IRS documenting this conclusion.

On May 10, 2018, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 22, 2018, GCI Liberty completed its reincorporation into Delaware by merging with its wholly owned Delaware subsidiary, which was the surviving corporation (the “Reincorporation Merger”). References to GCI Liberty or the Company prior to May 10, 2018 refer to GCI Liberty, Inc., an Alaska corporation and references to GCI Liberty after May 10, 2018 refer to GCI Liberty, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Following the HoldCo Split‑Off, Qurate Retail and GCI Liberty operate as separate, publicly traded companies, and neither have any stock ownership, beneficial or otherwise, in the other. In connection with the HoldCo Split‑Off, Qurate Retail, Liberty Media Corporation ("Liberty Media") (or its subsidiary) and GCI Liberty entered into certain agreements in order to govern certain of the ongoing relationships among the companies after the HoldCo Split‑Off and to provide for an orderly transition. These agreements include an indemnification agreement, a reorganization agreement, a services agreement, a facilities sharing agreement and a tax sharing agreement.

The reorganization agreement provides for, among other things, the principal corporate transactions (including the internal restructuring) required to effect the Transactions and certain conditions to and provisions governing the relationship between GCI Liberty and Qurate Retail (for accounting purposes a related party of GCI Liberty) with respect to and resulting from the Transactions. The tax sharing agreement provides for the allocation and indemnification of tax liabilities and benefits between Qurate Retail and GCI Liberty and other agreements related to tax matters. Pursuant to the tax sharing agreement, GCI Liberty has agreed to indemnify Qurate Retail for taxes and tax-related losses resulting from the Holdco Split-Off to the extent such taxes or tax-related losses (i) result primarily from, individually or in the aggregate, the breach of certain restrictive covenants made by GCI Liberty (applicable to actions or failures to act by GCI Liberty and its subsidiaries following the completion of the Holdco Split-Off), or (ii) result from Section 355(e) of the Internal Revenue Code applying to the Holdco

Split-Off as a result of the Holdco Split-Off being part of a plan (or series of related transactions) pursuant to which one or more persons acquire, directly or indirectly, a 50-percent or greater interest (measured by vote or value) in the stock of GCI Liberty (or any successor corporation). Pursuant to the services agreement, Liberty Media provides GCI Liberty with general and administrative services including legal, tax, accounting, treasury and investor relations support. See below for a description of an amendment to the services agreement entered into in December 2019. Under the facilities sharing agreement, GCI Liberty shares office space with Liberty Media and related amenities at its corporate headquarters. GCI Liberty reimburses Liberty Media for direct, out‑of‑pocket expenses incurred by Liberty Media in providing these services and for costs negotiated semi‑annually.

    

In December 2019, the Company entered into an amendment to the services agreement with Liberty Media in connection with Liberty Media’s entry into a new employment arrangement with Gregory B. Maffei, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Under the amended services agreement, components of his compensation will either be paid directly to him by each of the Company, Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc., Liberty Broadband, and Qurate Retail (collectively, the “Service Companies”) or reimbursed to Liberty Media, in each case, based on allocations among Liberty Media and the Service Companies set forth in the amended services agreement, currently set at 14% for the Company. The new agreement between Liberty Media and Mr. Maffei provides for a five year employment term which began on January 1, 2020 and ends December 31, 2024, with an aggregate annual base salary of $3 million (with no contracted increase), an aggregate one-time cash commitment bonus of $5 million, an aggregate annual target cash performance bonus of $17 million, aggregate annual equity awards of $17.5 million and aggregate equity awards granted in connection with his entry into his new agreement of $90 million (the “upfront awards”).

We refer to the combination of GCI Holdings, LLC (“GCI Holdings”), non controlling interests in Liberty Broadband, Charter and LendingTree, a controlling interest in Evite, and certain other assets and liabilities as “GCI Liberty”, the “Company”, “us”, “we” and “our.”

Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company's business, product and marketing strategies; new service offerings; revenue growth; the recoverability of the Company's goodwill and other long-lived assets; the Company's projected sources and uses of cash; renewal of licenses; the effects of regulatory developments; the Rural Healthcare Program; the remediation of a material weakness; and the anticipated impact of certain contingent liabilities related to legal and tax proceedings and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. In particular, statements under Item 1. "Business," Item 1A. "Risk-Factors," Item 2. "Properties," Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and Item 7A. "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" contain forward-looking statements. Where, in any forward-looking statement, the Company expresses an expectation or belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the expectation or belief will result or be achieved or accomplished. The following include some but not all of the factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated:

These forward-looking statements and such risks, uncertainties and other factors speak only as of the date of this Annual Report, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein, to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto, or any other change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. When considering such forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the factors described in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and other cautionary statements contained in this Annual Report. Such risk factors and statements describe circumstances which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.

This Annual Report includes information concerning companies in which the Company has controlling and non-controlling interests that file reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Information in this Annual Report concerning those companies has been derived from the reports and other information filed by them with the SEC. If you would like further information about these companies, the reports and other information they file with the SEC can be accessed on the Internet website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Those reports and other information are not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report.

The following table identifies the Company's more significant subsidiaries and minority investments:

Evite, Inc.

    

Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq: LBRDA; LBRDK)

LendingTree, Inc. (Nasdaq: TREE)

GCI Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, provides a full range of wireless, data, video, voice, and managed services to residential customers, businesses, governmental entities, and educational and medical institutions primarily in Alaska under the GCI brand. Due to the unique nature of the markets it serves, including harsh winter weather and remote geographies, its customers rely extensively on its systems to meet their communication and entertainment needs.

Since its founding in 1979 as a competitive long distance provider, GCI Holdings has consistently expanded its product portfolio and facilities to become the leading integrated communication services provider in markets it serves. Its facilities include redundant and geographically diverse digital undersea fiber optic cable systems linking its Alaska terrestrial networks to the networks of other carriers in the lower 48 contiguous states and a statewide wireless network. 

Throughout its history, GCI Holdings has successfully added and expects to continue to add new products to its product portfolio. GCI Holdings has a demonstrated history of new product evaluation, development and deployment for its customers, and it continues to assess revenue-enhancing opportunities that create value for its customers. Where feasible and where economic analysis supports geographic expansion of its network coverage, it is currently pursuing or expects to pursue opportunities to increase the scale of its facilities, enhance its ability to serve existing customers’ needs and attract new customers. Additionally, due to the unique market conditions in Alaska, GCI Holdings, and in some cases its customers, participate in several federal (and to a lesser extent locally) subsidized programs designed to financially support the implementation and purchase of telecommunications services in high cost areas. With these programs GCI Holdings has been able to expand its network into previously undeveloped areas of Alaska and offer comprehensive communications services in many rural parts of the state where it would not otherwise be able to construct facilities within appropriate return-on-investment requirements.

GCI Holdings' revenue was comprised of 51% from data services, 22% from wireless services and 27% from video, voice and other services for 2019. GCI Holdings' revenue was comprised of 49% from data services, 22% from wireless services and 29% from video, voice and other services from March 9, 2018 through December 31, 2018.

GCI Holdings has a history of making and integrating acquisitions of telecommunications providers and other providers of complementary services. Its management team will continue to pursue investments that it believes fit with its strategy and networks and that enhance earnings.

GCI Holdings sells new and enhanced services and products to its existing customer base to achieve increased revenue and penetration of its services. Through close coordination of its customer service and sales and marketing efforts, its customer service representatives suggest to its customers other services they can purchase or enhanced versions of services they already purchase. Many calls into the customer service centers or visits into one of the retail stores result in sales of additional services and products.

GCI Holdings operates its own customer service department and has empowered its customer service representatives to handle most service issues and questions on a single call. GCI Holdings prioritizes its customer services to expedite handling of its most valuable customers’ issues, particularly for its largest commercial customers. GCI Holdings believes its integrated approach to customer service, including service set-up, programming various network databases with the customer’s information, installation, and ongoing service, allows it to provide a customer experience that fosters customer loyalty.

GCI Holdings continues to expand and evolve its integrated network for the delivery of its services. GCI Holdings' bundled strategy and integrated approach to serving customers creates efficiencies of scale and maximizes network utilization. By offering multiple services, GCI Holdings is better able to leverage its network assets and increase returns on its invested capital. GCI Holdings periodically evaluates its network assets and continually monitors technological developments that it can potentially deploy to increase network efficiency and performance.

GCI Holdings does not hold franchises (with the exception of video services as described below) or concessions for communications services or local access services. GCI Holdings holds a number of federally registered service marks used by its business. It owns two utility patents issued in 2017 pertaining to device diagnostics and network connectivity. The Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the "Communications Act"), gives the FCC the authority to license and regulate the use of the electromagnetic spectrum for radio communications. GCI Holdings holds licenses for its satellite and microwave transmission facilities for provision of long-distance services. GCI Holdings holds various licenses for spectrum and broadcast television use. These licenses may be revoked and license renewal applications may be denied for cause. However, GCI Holdings expects these licenses to be renewed in due course when, at the end of the license period, a renewal application will be filed.

GCI Holdings has licenses for earth stations that are generally licensed for fifteen years. The FCC also issues a single blanket license for a large number of technically identical earth stations. Its operations may require additional licenses in the future.

GCI Holdings is certified through the Regulatory Commission of Alaska ("RCA") to provide local, long distance, and video service by Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (“CPCN”). These CPCNs are nonexclusive certificates defining each authorized service area. Although CPCNs have no stated expiration date, they may be revoked due to cause.

GCI Holdings serves many rural and remote Alaska locations solely via satellite communications. It operates a hybrid fiber optic cable and digital microwave system (“TERRA”) linking Anchorage with the Bristol Bay, Yukon-Kuskokwim, and northwest regions of the state.

GCI Holdings owns and operates a statewide network providing voice and data services to the urban and rural communities of Alaska. Its statewide wireless network provides 4G LTE data service, EVDO, 3G UMTS/HSPA+, 2G CDMA, and 2G GSM/EDGE service. It continues to expand and upgrade these services to provide a modern network for Alaska.

GCI Holdings' dedicated Internet access and Internet protocol data services are delivered to an Ethernet port located at the service end-point. GCI Holdings' management platform continuously monitors the network and service end-points for

GCI Holdings' video businesses are located throughout Alaska and serve the majority of the population. Its facilities include hybrid-fiber-coax plant and head-end distribution equipment. The majority of its locations on the fiber routes are served from head-end distribution equipment in Anchorage. All of its cable systems are completely digital.

Evite is a digital invitation platform focused on bringing people together. With thousands of free and premium customizable designs which can be sent by email or text message, Evite makes celebrating face-to-face easier and more memorable for its over one hundred million annual users and their guests. Real-time messaging and RSVP tracking continue to make planning easier. Through Evite Donations, which has raised close to $20 million dollars, users can invite guests to support a favorite charity or personal cause without leaving their invitation. Launched in 1998, Evite has sent nearly 3 billion invitations. Evite generates revenue primarily from the sale of digital advertising for publication on its platform, including custom display advertising, native advertising content, custom integrations and brand partnerships. Evite conducts advertising sales through its direct regional sales teams and programmatically through ad exchanges. Diversified revenue streams are an increasing part of Evite's business with a focus on premium invitation purchases and Evite Pro subscriptions, which accounted for more than a quarter of Evite revenue in 2019. Evite is headquartered in Los Angeles. Evite's competitors include Paperless Post and various social media platforms.

Liberty Broadband consists of its wholly owned subsidiary Skyhook Holding, Inc. (“Skyhook”) and an interest in Charter Communications, Inc. ("Charter"). Skyhook provides location determination and location intelligence and data insight services.

Charter is the second largest cable operator in the United States and a leading broadband communications services company providing video, Internet and voice services to approximately 29.2 million residential and small and medium business customers at December 31, 2019. Charter also offers mobile services to residential customers and recently launched mobile services to small and medium business customers. In addition, Charter sells video and online advertising inventory to local, regional and national advertising customers and tailored communications and managed solutions to large enterprise customers. Charter also owns and operates regional sports networks and local sports, news and community channels.

The Company owns an approximate 23.5% economic interest in Liberty Broadband as of December 31, 2019. Due to overlapping boards of directors and management, GCI Liberty has been deemed to have significant influence over Liberty Broadband (for accounting purposes) even though GCI Liberty does not have any voting rights (see note 7 of the Company's consolidated financial statements found in Part II of this report for additional information). GCI Liberty has elected to apply the fair value option for its investment in Liberty Broadband as it is believed that the Company’s investors value this investment based on the trading price of Liberty Broadband.

LendingTree operates an online consumer platform for consumers seeking loans and other credit-based offerings. LendingTree offers consumers tools and resources, including free credit scores, that facilitate comparison-shopping for mortgage loans, home equity loan and lines of credit, reverse mortgage loans, auto loans, credit cards, deposit accounts, personal loans, student loans, small business loans, insurance quotes and other related offerings. LendingTree primarily seeks to match in-market consumers with multiple providers on its marketplace who can provide them with competing quotes for loans, deposit products, insurance or other related offerings they are seeking. LendingTree also serves as a valued partner to lenders and other providers seeking an efficient, scalable and flexible source of customer acquisition with directly measurable benefits, by matching the consumer inquiries it generates with these lenders. LendingTree is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Company owns approximately 26.5% of the outstanding common stock of LendingTree as of December 31, 2019. The Company has entered into an agreement with LendingTree pursuant to which, among other things, it has the right to nominate 20% of the members of LendingTree’s board of directors. The Company has nominated two of the ten current board members.

Regulatory Matters

The Company's businesses are subject to substantial government regulation and oversight. The following summary of regulatory issues does not purport to describe all existing and proposed federal, state, and local laws and regulations, or judicial and regulatory proceedings that affect the Company's businesses. Existing laws and regulations are reviewed frequently by legislative bodies, regulatory agencies, and the courts and are subject to change. The Company cannot predict at this time the outcome of any present or future consideration of proposed changes to governing laws and regulations.

Commercial mobile radio service wireless systems are subject to Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") and FCC regulations governing the location, lighting, construction, modification, and registration of antenna structures on which GCI Holdings' antennas and associated equipment are located and are also subject to regulation under federal environmental laws and the FCC’s environmental regulations, including limits on radio frequency radiation from wireless handsets and antennas.

On August 31, 2016, the FCC published the Alaska High Cost Order. Per the Alaska High Cost Order, as of January 1, 2017, Remote (as defined by the Alaska High Cost Order) high cost support payments to Alaska High Cost participants are frozen on a per-company basis at adjusted December 2014 levels for a ten-year term in exchange for meeting individualized performance obligations to offer voice and broadband services meeting the service obligations at specified minimum speeds by five-year and ten-year service milestones to a specified number of locations. Remote high cost support is no longer dependent upon line counts and line count filings are no longer required. Under the terms of the Alaska High Cost Order, the FCC is to initiate a process in 2021 to eliminate duplicate support in areas that were served by more than one subsidized mobile wireless carrier as of December 31, 2020. As part of the Alaska High Cost Order, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on how to implement that process. The FCC has not to date issued any further orders with respect to that process.

On December 1, 2017, the FCC released a Fourth Report and Order to reform and modernize the USF’s Lifeline program ("Lifeline Order"). The Lifeline program is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company ("USAC") and is designed to ensure that quality telecommunications services are available to low-income customers at just, reasonable, and affordable rates. The current Lifeline program provides an enhanced $25 monthly subsidy to qualifying subscribers that live on tribal lands ("Enhanced Tribal Subsidy"), which includes all of Alaska, in addition to the $9.25 subsidy provided to all Lifeline subscribers. The Lifeline Order adopted several reforms, but, most significantly, it limited the Enhanced Tribal Subsidy to only those subscribers living in "rural" tribal areas. On February 1, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ("D.C. Circuit") vacated the Lifeline Order as arbitrary and capricious, remanding the matter to the FCC for a new notice-and-comment-rulemaking proceeding. On November 14, 2019, the FCC released a Fifth Report and Order, Order on Reconsideration and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("FNPRM") regarding the Lifeline program. Although that Order adopted, and the FNPRM proposed, further program protections, the FNPRM did not propose limiting the Enhanced Tribal Subsidy to "rural" areas.

See “Narrative Description of Business — Regulatory Matters — Wireline Voice Services and Products — Regulatory Regime Applicable to IP-based Networks” for more information.

In addition, the Communications Act does not expressly preempt the states from regulating the “terms and conditions” of wireless service. Several states have invoked this “terms and conditions” authority to impose or propose various consumer protection regulations on the wireless industry. State attorneys general have also become more active in enforcing state consumer protection laws against sales practices and services of wireless carriers. States also may impose their own universal service support requirements on wireless and other communications carriers, similar to the contribution requirements that have been established by the FCC.

States have become more active in attempting to impose new taxes and fees on wireless carriers, such as gross receipts taxes. Where successful, these taxes and fees are generally passed through to customers and result in higher costs to customers.

At the local level, wireless facilities typically are subject to zoning and land use regulation. Neither local nor state governments may categorically prohibit the construction of wireless facilities in any community or take actions, such as indefinite moratoria, which have the effect of prohibiting construction. Pursuant to Section 6409(a) of the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2012, state and local governments are further constrained in their regulation of changes to existing wireless infrastructure. Nonetheless, securing federal, state and local government approvals for new antenna structures has been and is likely to continue to be difficult, lengthy and costly.

The vast majority of users connect to the Internet over facilities of existing communications carriers. Those communications carriers are subject to varying levels of regulation at both the federal and state level. Thus, non-Internet-specific regulatory decisions exercise a significant influence over the economics of the Internet market.

Many aspects of the coordination and regulation of Internet activities and the underlying networks over which those activities are conducted are evolving. Internet-specific and non-Internet-specific changes in the regulatory environment, including changes that affect communications costs or increase competition from ILECs or other communications services providers, could adversely affect our costs and the prices at which GCI Holdings sells Internet-based services.

On February 26, 2015, the FCC adopted an order reclassifying Internet service as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act. This order prohibited broadband providers from blocking or throttling most lawful public Internet traffic, from engaging in paid prioritization of that traffic, and from unreasonably interfering with or disadvantaging end users' and edge providers’ ability to send traffic to, from, and among each other. The order also strengthened the FCC’s transparency rules, which require accurate and truthful service disclosures, sufficient for consumers to make informed choices, for example, about speed, price and fees, latency, and network management practices. The order allowed broadband providers to engage in reasonable network management, including using techniques to address traffic congestion. These rules applied equally to wired and wireless broadband services. The order refrained from applying rate regulation and tariff requirements on broadband services. On January 4, 2018, the FCC released an order ("2018 Order") that returned to a Title I classification of Internet service and eliminated many of the requirements described above. On October 1, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) ruled on numerous appeals of the 2018 Order by interested parties. The D.C. Circuit largely upheld the 2018 Order. However, it vacated that portion of the 2018 Order preempting inconsistent state or local regulations, and remanded the 2018 Order to the FCC for further consideration of its effect on public safety, pole attachment regulation, and the Lifeline support program. The D.C. Circuit’s ruling may be subject to further judicial review.

There are various efforts in Congress and through state legislation to re-impose the rules adopted in 2015. For example, on September 30, 2018, California enacted the California Internet Consumer Protection and Net Neutrality Act of 2018, which establishes many of the requirements adopted by the FCC in 2015. California has agreed not to enforce the new law pending judicial review of the 2018 Order in the D.C. Circuit, and any subsequent proceedings before the U.S. Supreme Court. While GCI Holdings does not believe that the 2015 FCC order conflicts with its existing practices or offerings, the re-imposition of that regulatory framework would impose regulatory burdens, likely would increase its costs, and could adversely affect the manner and price of providing service.

On October 27, 2016, the FCC adopted rules governing how broadband internet access service providers may use and disclose certain customer information. Those rules were more restrictive in certain respects than the rules that apply to other entities in the internet economy, including Google and Facebook. On April 3, 2017, the President signed Pub. Law 115-22, which repealed the FCC’s rules under the Congressional Review Act. Various efforts in Congress, at the FTC, and in state legislatures seek to regulate how service providers in the internet economy may use and disclose customer information. Those efforts could impact GCI Holdings' ability to use customer data and impose costs and operational challenges.

The FCC also has other open dockets through which it might make changes to the regulatory regime applicable to IP-based networks. A change in regulatory obligation or classification that interferes with GCI Holdings' ability to exchange traffic with other providers, that raises the cost of doing so, or that adversely affects eligibility for USF support could materially affect GCI Holdings' net cost of and revenue from providing local services.

the approved funding under the RHC program for the funding years ended on June 30, 2018 and 2019. On June 10, 2019, the FCC released a public notice noting that the funding cap for the funding year ending on June 30, 2020 is $594 million, also noting that USAC projects that $83 million in unused funds will be available for use in the funding year ending on June 30, 2020. On February 14, 2020, USAC informed the FCC that it had identified an additional $162.7 million of unused funds available for use in future years, and that it had begun issuing commitments fully funding qualified single year requests in the Telecom and Healthcare Connect portions of the RHC programs for the funding year ending on June 30, 2020.

On February 19, 2020, the Bureau issued an FCC order that granted the Customer’s appeal for the two service contracts that were originally denied funding by USAC. In the order, the FCC has directed USAC to reverse its previous funding denials. Because the FCC order provides the Company with additional information subsequent to December 31, 2019 about the resolution of a contingency that existed as of year-end, the Company has recognized the impact of the FCC order in our consolidated financial statements. Such impact resulted in the reversal of the previously recorded $21.3 million accounts receivable reserve and associated bad debt expense included within Selling, general, and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.

The FCC rules require cable operators to carry the digital programming streams of broadcast television stations who elect "Must Carry." The current rules do not require any cable operator to carry multiple digital programming streams from a single broadcast television station, but should the FCC change this policy, GCI Holdings would be required to devote additional cable capacity to carrying broadcast television programming streams, a step that could require the removal of other programming services.

to obtain desired broadcast programming or affect the cost of that programming. Copyright clearances for non-broadcast programming services are arranged through private negotiations.

GCI Holdings has completed negotiation and/or arbitration of the necessary interconnection provisions and the RCA has approved current wireline Interconnection Agreements between GCI Holdings and all of the major ILECs. GCI Holdings has entered all of the major Alaskan markets with local access services.

See “Narrative Description of Business — Competition — Voice Services and Products Competition” for more information.

Moreover, changes in the regulatory classification of services that are transmitted over facilities may impact the extent to which GCI Holdings will be permitted access to such facilities. Changes to the applicable regulations could result in a change in its cost of serving new and existing markets. On July 7, 2017, ACS filed a petition in which it asked the FCC to regulate GCI Holdings as an ILEC pursuant to section 251(h)(2) of the Communications Act, including the requirement to provide competitors with access to unbundled network elements. GCI Holdings cannot predict at this time the outcome of this proceeding. However, grant of the petition in its entirety may subject GCI Holdings to regulatory burdens that could materially impact its costs.

GCI Holdings undertakes activities that may, under certain circumstances, affect the environment. Accordingly, they may be subject to federal, state, and local laws designed to preserve or protect the environment, including the Clean Water Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. The FCC, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and National Park Service are among the federal agencies required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and National Historic Preservation Act to consider the environmental impact of actions they authorize, including facility construction.

The principal effect of GCI Holdings' facilities on the environment would be in the form of construction of facilities and networks at various locations in Alaska and between Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. GCI Holdings' facilities have been constructed in accordance with federal, state and local building codes and zoning regulations whenever and wherever applicable. GCI Holdings obtains federal, state, and local permits, as required, for its projects and operations. GCI Holdings is unaware of any material violations of federal, state or local regulations or permits.

Competition

The Company operates in intensely competitive industries and competes with a number of companies that provide a broad range of communication, entertainment, and information products and services. Technological changes are further intensifying and complicating the competitive landscape and consumer behavior.

The communications industry continues to experience significant technological changes, as evidenced by the increasing pace of improvements in the capacity and quality of digital technology, shorter cycles for new products and enhancements and changes in consumer preferences and expectations. Accordingly, the Company expects competition in the wireless communications industry to continue to be dynamic and intense as a result of the development of new technologies, services and products.

The national wireless carriers with whom the Company competes, AT&T and Verizon, have resources that are greater than the Company's resources. These companies have significantly greater capital, financial, marketing, human capital, distribution and other resources than the Company. Specifically, as a regional wireless carrier the Company may not have immediate access to some wireless handsets that are available to these national wireless carriers. 

The Company competes for customers based principally upon price, service bundles, the services and enhancements offered, network quality, customer service, billing services, statewide network coverage and capacity, the type of wireless handsets offered, and perceived quality, reliability and availability. The Company's ability to compete successfully will depend, in part, on its marketing efforts and its ability to anticipate and respond to various competitive factors affecting the industry.

The Company expects to continue to provide, at reasonable prices and in competitive bundles, a greater variety of data services than are available through other alternative delivery sources. Additionally, the Company believes it offers superior technical performance and speed, and responsive community-based customer service. Increased competition, however, may adversely affect the Company's market share and results of operations from its data services product offerings.

Presently, there are a number of competing companies in Alaska that actively sell and maintain data and voice communications systems. The Company's ability to integrate communications networks and data communications equipment has allowed it to maintain its market position based on customer support services rather than price competition alone. These services are blended with other transport products into unique customer solutions, including managed services and outsourcing.

Internet video streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, are a major source of competition for the Company's video services. Additionally, some online video services produce or acquire their own original content. However, as a major Internet-provider, the competition may result in additional data service subscriber revenue for the Company to the extent it grows average Internet revenue per subscriber.

The DBS industry is another major source of competition for the Company's video services. Two major companies, AT&T-owned DIRECTV and DISH Network Corporation, are currently offering high-power DBS services in Alaska.

Video systems generally operate pursuant to franchises granted on a non-exclusive basis. The 1992 Cable Act gives local franchising authorities jurisdiction over basic video service rates and equipment in the absence of “effective competition.” The 1992 Cable Act also prohibits franchising authorities from unreasonably denying requests for additional franchises and permits franchising authorities to operate video systems. Well-financed businesses from outside the video industry may become competitors for franchises or providers of competing services.

The Company expects to continue to provide, at reasonable prices and in competitive bundles, a greater variety of video services than are available off-air or through other alternative delivery sources. Additionally, the Company believes it offers superior technical performance and responsive community-based customer service. Increased competition, however, may adversely affect the Company's market share and results of operations from its video services product offerings.

See “Regulatory Matters — Wireline Voice Services and Products” above for more information.

Employees

Pursuant to a services agreement between Liberty Media and GCI Liberty, 86 Liberty Media corporate employees provide certain management services to GCI Liberty for a determined fee. In connection with the provision of these services, GCI Liberty provides certain elements of compensation to these corporate employees and executive officers of Liberty Media. As of December 31, 2019, the Company's consolidated subsidiaries had an aggregate of approximately 2,051 full and part-time

employees and the Company is not party to any union contracts with its employees. The Company believes that its employee relations are good.

All of the Company's filings with the SEC, including its Form 10-Ks, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks, as well as amendments to such filings are available on the Company's Internet website free of charge generally within 24 hours after it files such material with the SEC. The Company's website address is www.gciliberty.com.

The Company's corporate governance guidelines, code of business conduct and ethics, compensation committee charter, nominating and corporate governance committee charter, and audit committee charter are available on its website. In addition, the Company will provide a copy of any of these documents, free of charge, to any shareholder who calls or submits a request in writing to Investor Relations, GCI Liberty, Inc., 12300 Liberty Boulevard, Englewood, Colorado 80112, Tel. No. (720) 875-5900.

The information contained on the Company's website and the websites of its subsidiaries and affiliated businesses mentioned throughout this report are not incorporated by reference herein.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Factors Relating to the Company's Corporate History and Structure

GCI Liberty is in the business of selling communications and entertainment services to subscribers, and its economic success is based on its ability to retain current subscribers and attract new subscribers. Further, the GCI Holdings operating subsidiaries currently generate substantially all of the cash flow of the consolidated GCI Liberty. GCI Liberty intends to continue to conduct its operations so that neither it nor any of its subsidiaries is required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “40 Act”). To ensure that GCI Liberty does not become subject to regulation under the 40 Act, GCI Liberty may be limited in the type of assets that it may continue to own or acquire and, further, may need to dispose of or acquire certain assets (through a purchase, sale, merger or other transaction) at such times or on such terms as may be less favorable to GCI Liberty than if it were not required to enter into such transaction to maintain its exclusion from regulation under the 40 Act. If for any reason, however, GCI Liberty were to become subject to regulation under the 40 Act (such as due to significant accretion in the value of its interests in certain investment securities coupled with a reduction in the value of the GCI Holdings operations or a change in circumstance which results in a reclassification of certain of its operating assets as investment securities for purposes of the 40 Act), after giving effect to any applicable grace periods, GCI Liberty may be required to register as an investment company, which could result in significant registration and compliance costs, could require changes to its corporate governance structure and financial reporting, and could restrict its activities going forward. In addition, if GCI Liberty were to become inadvertently subject to the 40 Act, any violation of the 40 Act could subject it to material adverse consequences, including potentially significant regulatory penalties and the possibility that certain of its contracts could be deemed unenforceable.

Factors Relating to the Transactions

In connection with the contribution and Holdco Split-Off (together, the “GCI Liberty Split-Off”), Qurate Retail received an opinion of its tax counsel to the effect that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the GCI Liberty Split-Off will qualify as a tax-free transaction to Qurate Retail and to the former holders of its Liberty Ventures common stock under Section 355, Section 368(a)(1)(D) and related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). In July 2018, the IRS completed its review of the GCI Liberty Split-Off and informed Qurate Retail that it agreed with the nontaxable characterization of the transactions. Qurate Retail received an Issue Resolution Agreement from the IRS documenting this conclusion.

Even if the GCI Liberty Split-Off otherwise qualifies under Section 355, Section 368(a)(1)(D), and related provisions of the Code, the GCI Liberty Split-Off would result in a significant U.S. federal income tax liability to Qurate Retail (but not to the former holders of Liberty Ventures common stock) under Section 355(e) of the Code if one or more persons acquire, directly or indirectly, a 50% or greater interest (measured by either vote or value) in the stock of Qurate Retail or in the stock of the Company (excluding, for this purpose, acquisitions of its common stock meeting statutory exceptions) as part of a plan or series of related transactions that includes the GCI Liberty Split-Off. Any acquisition of the stock of Qurate Retail or the Company (or any successor corporation) within two years before or after the GCI Liberty Split-Off would generally be presumed to be part of a plan that includes the GCI Liberty Split-Off, although the parties may be able to rebut that presumption under certain circumstances. The process for determining whether an acquisition is part of a plan under these rules is complex, inherently factual in nature and subject to a comprehensive analysis of the facts and circumstances of the particular case. Notwithstanding the opinion of tax counsel described above, Qurate Retail or the Company might inadvertently cause or permit a prohibited change in ownership of Qurate Retail or the Company, thereby triggering tax liability to Qurate Retail.

Prior to the GCI Liberty Split-Off, the Company entered into a tax sharing agreement with Qurate Retail. Under this agreement, Qurate Retail is generally responsible for any taxes and losses resulting from the failure of the GCI Liberty Split-Off to qualify as a tax-free transaction; however, the Company is required to indemnify Qurate Retail, its subsidiaries and certain related persons for any taxes and losses which (i) result primarily from, individually or in the aggregate, the breach of certain covenants made by the Company (applicable to actions or failures to act by the Company and its subsidiaries following the completion of the GCI Liberty Split-Off), or (ii) result from the application of Section 355(e) of the Code to the GCI Liberty Split-Off as a result of the treatment of the GCI Liberty Split-Off as part of a plan (or series of related transactions) pursuant to which one or more persons acquire, directly or indirectly, a 50% or greater interest (measured by either vote or value) in the stock of the Company (or any successor corporation). The Company's indemnification obligations to Qurate Retail, its subsidiaries, and certain related persons are not limited in amount or subject to any cap. If the Company is required to indemnify Qurate Retail, its subsidiaries, or such related persons under the circumstances set forth in the tax sharing agreement, the Company may be subject to substantial liabilities, which could materially adversely affect its financial position.

To preserve the tax-free treatment of the GCI Liberty Split-Off, the Company may determine to forgo certain transactions that might have otherwise been advantageous to it, including certain asset dispositions or other strategic transactions for some period of time following the GCI Liberty Split-Off. In addition, the Company's indemnity obligation related to the GCI Liberty Split-Off under the tax sharing agreement might discourage, delay or prevent a change of control transaction for some period of time following the GCI Liberty Split-Off.

As a result of the Transactions and other transactions between 2011 and 2016 that resulted in the separate corporate existence of Qurate Retail, Liberty Media, Liberty Broadband and Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (“Liberty TripAdvisor”), most of the executive officers of GCI Liberty also serve as executive officers of Qurate Retail, Liberty Media, Liberty TripAdvisor and Liberty Broadband, and there are overlapping directors. With the exception of the Company’s ownership of shares of Liberty Broadband's non-voting Series C common stock, none of these companies has any ownership interest in any of the others. The Company's executive officers and members of its board of directors have fiduciary duties to its shareholders. Likewise, any such persons who serve in similar capacities at Qurate Retail, Liberty Media, Liberty Broadband or Liberty TripAdvisor have fiduciary duties to that company's stockholders. For example, there may be the potential for a conflict of interest when Qurate Retail, Liberty Media, Liberty Broadband, Liberty TripAdvisor or GCI Liberty looks at acquisitions and other corporate opportunities that may be suitable for each of them. Therefore, such persons may have conflicts of interest or

the appearance of conflicts of interest in the event there are matters involving or affecting more than one of the companies to which they owe fiduciary duties. Moreover, most of the Company’s directors and officers own GCI Liberty stock and equity awards and own Qurate Retail, Liberty Media, Liberty Broadband and Liberty TripAdvisor stock and equity awards. Therefore, such persons may have conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest with respect to matters involving or affecting more than one of the companies to which they owe fiduciary duties. Any potential conflict that qualifies as a “related party transaction” (as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) is subject to review by an independent committee of the applicable issuer's board of directors in accordance with its corporate governance guidelines. Each of Liberty Broadband, Liberty TripAdvisor and GCI Liberty has renounced its rights to certain business opportunities, and their respective certificate of incorporation provides that no director or officer of the respective company will breach their fiduciary duty and therefore be liable to the respective company or its stockholders by reason of the fact that any such individual directs a corporate opportunity to another person or entity (including Qurate Retail, Liberty Media, Liberty Broadband, Liberty TripAdvisor and GCI Liberty, as the case may be) instead of the respective company, or does not refer or communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to the respective company, unless (x) such opportunity was expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the respective company or as a director or officer of any of the respective company’s subsidiaries, and (y) such opportunity relates to a line of business in which the respective company or any of its subsidiaries is then directly engaged. Any other potential conflicts that may arise will be addressed on a case-by-case basis, keeping in mind the applicable fiduciary duties owed by the executive officers and directors of each issuer. From time to time, GCI Liberty may enter into transactions with Qurate Retail, Liberty Media, Liberty Broadband and Liberty TripAdvisor and/or their respective subsidiaries or other affiliates. There can be no assurance that the terms of any such transaction will be as favorable to GCI Liberty, Qurate Retail, Liberty Media, Liberty Broadband and Liberty TripAdvisor or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates as would be the case where there is no overlapping officer or director.

As of December 31, 2019, GCI Liberty's assets included shares of Charter valued at approximately $2.6 billion and shares of Liberty Broadband, which is Charter's largest shareholder with a 25.01% voting interest in Charter, valued at approximately $5.4 billion. The Company has no ability to exercise control over either Charter or Liberty Broadband, and therefore it cannot cause either investee to take actions which may be in the best interest of the Company and its investment in these companies. Although many of the risks described below relating to the Company's operating business similarly affect Charter and Liberty Broadband, for additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties specific to Charter and Liberty Broadband, holders of GCI Liberty securities should please see “Part I-Item 1A. Risk Factors-Factors Relating to Our Corporate History and Structure” and “Part I-Item 1A. Risk Factors-Factors Relating to Charter” of Liberty Broadband's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 3, 2020. In addition, as of December 31, 2019, GCI Liberty's assets included an interest in the publicly traded equity of LendingTree with a market value of approximately $1,045.0 million. The value of these interests may be affected by economic and market conditions that are beyond the Company's control, and its ability to liquidate or otherwise monetize these interests without adversely affecting their value may be limited.

Factors Relating to the Company's GCI Holdings' Business and Future Results

Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that it currently deems to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect the business operations of GCI Holdings, which the Company refers to as "GCI" in the following risk factors relating to the business of GCI Holdings. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect the Company's business, financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

There is substantial competition in the telecommunications and entertainment industries. Through mergers, various service integration strategies, and business alliances, major providers are striving to strengthen their competitive positions. GCI faces increased wireless services competition from national carriers in the Alaska market and increasing video services competition from DBS providers and over-the-top content providers who are often able to offer more flexible subscription packages and exclusive content.

The Company expects competition to increase as a result of the rapid development of new technologies, services and products. The Company cannot predict which of many possible future technologies, products or services will be important to maintain GCI’s competitive position or what expenditures will be required to develop and provide these technologies, products or services. GCI’s ability to compete successfully will depend on marketing and on its ability to anticipate and respond to

various competitive factors affecting the industry, including new services that may be introduced, changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions and pricing strategies by competitors. To the extent GCI does not keep pace with technological advances or fails to timely respond to changes in competitive factors in its industry and in its markets, GCI could lose market share or experience a decline in its revenue and net income. Competitive conditions create a risk of market share loss and the risk that customers shift to less profitable lower margin services. Competitive pressures also create challenges for its ability to grow new businesses or introduce new services successfully and execute its business plan. GCI also faces the risk of potential price cuts by the Company's competitors that could materially adversely affect its market share and gross margins.

GCI’s wholesale customers including its major roaming customers may construct facilities in locations where they currently contract with GCI to use its network to provide service on their behalf. The Company could experience a decline in revenue and net income if any of GCI’s wholesale customers constructed or expanded their existing networks in places where service is currently provided by GCI’s network. Some of GCI’s wholesale customers have greater access to financial, technical, and other resources than GCI does. GCI expects to continue to offer competitive alternatives to such customers in order to retain significant traffic on GCI's network. The Company cannot predict whether such customers will continue to see GCI's network as a compelling alternative. GCI’s inability to negotiate renewals of such contracts could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

GCI is in the business of selling communications and entertainment services to subscribers, and its economic success is based on its ability to retain current subscribers and attract new subscribers. In recent years, GCI has seen a general decrease in subscriber metrics. If GCI is unable to retain and attract subscribers, its and the Company's financial performance will be impaired. GCI’s rates of subscriber acquisition and turnover are affected by a number of competitive factors including the size of its service areas, network performance and reliability issues, its device and service offerings, subscribers’ perceptions of its services, and customer care quality. Managing these factors and subscribers’ expectations is essential in attracting and retaining subscribers. Although GCI has implemented programs to attract new subscribers and address subscriber turnover, the Company cannot assure you that these programs or GCI’s strategies to address subscriber acquisition and turnover will be successful. A high rate of turnover or low or negative rate of new subscriber acquisition would reduce revenue and increase the total marketing expenditures required to attract the minimum number of subscribers required to sustain GCI’s business plan which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

Some of GCI’s competitors have national networks that enable them to offer nationwide coverage to their subscribers at a lower cost than GCI can offer. The networks GCI operates do not, by themselves, provide national coverage and GCI must pay fees to other carriers who provide roaming services to it. GCI currently relies on roaming agreements with several carriers for the majority of its roaming services.

The FCC requires commercial mobile radio service providers to provide roaming, upon request, for voice and SMS text messaging services on just, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. The FCC also requires carriers to offer data roaming services. The rules do not provide or mandate any specific mechanism for determining the reasonableness of roaming rates for voice, SMS text messaging or data services and require that roaming complaints be resolved on a case-by-case basis, based on a non-exclusive list of factors that can be taken into account in determining the reasonableness of particular conduct or rates. If GCI were to lose the benefit of one or more key roaming or wholesale agreements unexpectedly, it may be unable to obtain similar replacement agreements and as a result may be unable to continue providing nationwide voice and data roaming services for its customers or may be unable to provide such services on a cost-effective basis. GCI’s inability to obtain new or replacement roaming services on a cost-effective basis may limit its ability to compete effectively for wireless customers, which may increase its turnover and decrease its revenue, which in turn could materially adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

As described above in “Item 1. - Business - Regulatory Matters,” GCI’s business is subject to extensive federal and state governmental legislation and regulation. There can be no assurance that future changes or additions to the regulatory system under which GCI operates will benefit or have no effect on GCI. Similarly, these rules and regulations are subject to

interpretation by the applicable agencies, and new interpretations, or those of which GCI is not aware, could impact GCI’s operations and have an adverse effect on GCI’s business, position, results of operations or liquidity. There can be no assurance that future regulatory actions taken by Congress, the FCC or other federal, state or local government authorities will not have a similar effect.

With respect to wireless services provided by GCI, the licensing, construction, operation, sale and interconnection arrangements of wireless communications systems are regulated by the FCC and, depending on the jurisdiction, state and local regulatory agencies. In particular, the FCC grants wireless licenses and imposes significant regulation on licensees of wireless spectrum. There can be no guarantee that GCI’s existing licenses will be renewed. In addition, while the FCC does not currently regulate wireless service providers' rates, states may exercise authority over such things as certain billing practices and consumer-related issues. These regulations could increase the costs of GCI’s wireless operations, including with respect to the maintenance of existing licenses granted by the FCC due to failure to comply with applicable regulations. GCI is also subject to FCC rules relating to E911 capabilities, and failure to comply with these rules could subject GCI to significant fines. With respect to video services provided by GCI, GCI is subject to changes in regulation that could potentially result in rate reductions or refunds of previously collected fees in the future.

With respect to Internet services provided by GCI, GCI is impacted by efforts to reclassify Internet service as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act. In 2015, the FCC classified Internet service as a telecommunication service. The FCC's implementing regulations prohibited broadband providers from blocking or throttling most lawful public Internet traffic, from engaging in paid prioritization of that traffic, and from unreasonably interfering with or disadvantaging end users' and edge providers' ability to send traffic to, from, and among each other. Although a 2018 FCC order returned to a Title I classification of Internet service and eliminated many of the requirements imposed in its initial 2015 order, there are various efforts in Congress and through state legislation to re-impose net neutrality requirements or some variation thereof. The Company cannot predict whether the FCC or Congress will re-impose the 2015 rules or some variation thereof. The increased regulatory burden if the 2015 rules are re-imposed likely would increase GCI's costs and could adversely affect the manner and price of providing service, which could have a material adverse effect on GCI’s business, financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

GCI participates in various USF programs, which provide government subsidies to customers in low income areas, including schools, libraries and other facilities. This support was 24% and 23% of the Company's revenue for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the period following the date of the Transactions through December 31, 2018, respectively. GCI had USF net receivables of $151.2 million and $91.3 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. In addition, the USF programs generally require the Company and other telecommunications providers to make contributions, based on certain revenue earned, into a fund used to subsidize the provision of voice services and broadband-capable voice networks in high-cost areas, the provision of voice and broadband services to low-income consumers, and the provision of internet, voice and telecommunications services to schools, libraries and certain health care providers. The USF programs in which the Company participates are highly regulated. While the rules and regulations governing the USF programs are fairly robust, there can be no assurance that any new rules or regulations adopted will not impact GCI's USF program anticipated receivables or contributions. Further, the FCC and USAC may interpret or apply the applicable rules and regulations in ways that are unexpected to GCI or other program participants. As a result, material changes to receivables and contributions may occur, which could have an adverse effect on GCI's business and the Company's financial position, results of operations or liquidity. As described above in “Item 1. Business - Regulatory Matters,” GCI has experienced material changes to receivables and contributions from the USF programs in recent years. For example, in October 2018, the Bureau notified GCI of its decision to reduce rural rates charged to RHC customers for the funding year that ended on June 30, 2018 by approximately 26% resulting in a reduction of total support payments of $27.8 million, and stated that it would apply the same cost methodology going forward. In addition, although the FCC has recently adjusted the RHC Program funding cap and committed to annual adjustments in future years for inflation, there is no guarantee that aggregate funding will be available to pay in full the approved funding for future years. Furthermore, the FCC has adopted changes to the manner in which support issued under the RHC Program will be calculated and approved, and GCI is currently unable to assess the substance, impact on funding or timing of these changes.

The USF programs in which GCI participates are highly regulated, and, in many cases, require highly technical and nuanced processes and procedures in order to obtain funding and to ensure compliance with the USF programs. For example, telecommunication providers and their customers are subject to regulations that set forth requisite procedures that must be followed by both the provider and the customer, and there are limitations on communications between these parties. If a customer or a provider is found to have not complied with any aspect of these regulations, regardless of whether such noncompliance was unintentional or accidental, the FCC may deny funding and/or require disgorgement of any amounts received under the affected contracts. The FCC may also invalidate any affected contract and impose fines or penalties. Accordingly, failure to comply with these rules and regulations could have a material adverse effect on GCI's business and the Company's financial position, results of operations or liquidity. As described in note 16 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company accrued a loss of approximately $17 million resulting from a review of certain active and expired RHC Program contracts where it has identified potential compliance issues. Although the FCC has been made aware of the potential RHC Program compliance issues, there can be no assurance that the FCC will not impose penalties or fines that would be additive to any required disgorgement or denial of funding. Further, no assurance can be given that any novated contracts will be replicated subsequently, which may affect future revenue.

The USF pays support to ETCs to support the provision of facilities-based wireline and wireless telephone service in high cost areas. If GCI were to lose its ETC status in any of the study areas where it is currently an authorized ETC whether due to legislative or regulatory reform or its failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, GCI would be ineligible to receive high cost or low income USF support for providing service in that area, which would have an adverse effect on the Company's business, financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

As an ETC, GCI receives support from the USF to support the provision of wireline local access and wireless service in high cost areas. On August 31, 2016, the FCC published the Alaska High Cost Order which requires GCI to submit to the FCC a performance plan with five-year and ten-year commitments. If GCI is unable to meet the final performance plan milestones approved by the FCC it will be required to repay 1.89 times the average amount of support per location received over the ten-year term for the relevant number of locations that GCI failed to deploy to, plus ten percent of its total Alaska High Cost Order support received over the ten-year term. Inability to meet GCI’s performance plan milestones could have an adverse effect on its business, financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Under the Alaska High Cost Order, the FCC adopted a process for revisiting after five years whether and to what extent there is duplicative support for 4G LTE service in rural Alaska and to take steps to eliminate such duplicative support levels in the second half of the ten-year term. As a result, if another carrier builds 4G LTE service in an area where GCI is the sole provider and the FCC decides to redistribute the support then GCI’s high cost support may be reduced, which could have an adverse effect on its business, financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

The Company expects programming expenses for GCI’s video services to continue to increase in the foreseeable future. The multichannel video provider industry has continued to experience an increase in the cost of programming, especially sports programming and costs to retransmit local broadcast stations. As GCI’s contracts with content providers expire, there can be no assurance that they will be renewed on acceptable terms or that they will be renewed at all, in which case GCI may be unable to provide such content as part of its video services and the Company's business could be adversely affected. If GCI adds programming to its video services or if GCI chooses to distribute existing programming to its customers through additional delivery platforms, GCI may incur increased programming expenses. If GCI is unable to raise its customers’ rates or offset such programming cost increases through the sale of additional services, the increasing cost of programming could have an adverse impact on the Company's business, financial condition, or results of operations.

The Company expects GCI’s voice services’ results of operations, which include long-distance and local access services, will continue to decline. As competition from wireless carriers, such as GCI, increases the Company expects GCI’s long-distance and local access services' subscribers and revenue will continue to decline and the rate of decline may accelerate.

In addition, GCI’s success in the local telephone market depends on its continued ability to obtain interconnection, access and related services from local exchange carriers on terms that are reasonable and that are based on the cost of providing these services. GCI’s ability to provide service in the local telephone market depends on its negotiation or arbitration with local exchange carriers to allow interconnection to the carrier’s existing local telephone network (in some Alaska markets at cost-based rates), to establish dialing parity, to obtain access to rights-of-way, to resell services offered by the local exchange carrier, and in some cases, to allow the purchase, at cost-based rates, of access to certain unbundled network elements. Future negotiations or arbitration proceedings with respect to new or existing markets could result in a change in GCI’s cost of serving these markets via the facilities of the Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers or via wholesale offerings. GCI’s local telephone services business faces the risk of unfavorable changes in regulation or legislation or the introduction of new regulations.

GCI offers products and services to customers primarily throughout Alaska. Because of this geographic concentration, growth of GCI’s business and operations depends upon economic conditions in Alaska. The economy of Alaska is dependent upon the oil industry, state government spending, United States military spending, investment earnings and tourism. Prolonged periods of low oil prices adversely impacts the Alaska economy, which in turn could have an adverse impact on the demand for GCI’s products and services and on the Company's results of operations and financial condition. Low oil prices have put significant pressure on the Alaska state government budget since the majority of its revenue come from the oil industry. While the Alaska state government has significant reserves that the Company believes could help fund the state government, budgetary reforms will need to be implemented in order to offset the impact of lower oil prices.

The Alaska economy was in a recession from late 2015 to 2019, and lingering effects of that recession remain present in the Alaska economy. Further, the Alaska economy may experience another recession in the future. While it is difficult for the Company to predict the future impact of the recent recession, the current period of slow growth or any future recession on GCI’s business, these conditions have had, or could have, an adverse impact on GCI’s business and could adversely affect the affordability of and demand for some of its products and services and cause customers to shift to lower priced products and services or to delay or forgo purchases of its products and services. Additionally, GCI's customers may not be able to obtain adequate access to credit, which could affect their ability to make timely payments to GCI. If that were to occur, the Company could be required to increase its allowance for doubtful accounts, and the number of days outstanding for its accounts receivable could increase. If the lingering effects of that recession continues, the Alaska economy does not resume normal levels of growth or the Alaska economy experiences another recession, it could negatively affect GCI’s business including the Company's financial position, results of operations, or liquidity, as well as its ability to service debt, pay other obligations and

enhance shareholder returns.

The customer base in Alaska is limited and GCI has already achieved significant market penetration with respect to its service offerings in Anchorage and other locations in Alaska. GCI may not be able to continue to increase its share of the existing markets for its services, and no assurance can be given that the Alaskan economy will grow and increase the size of the markets GCI serves or increase the demand for the services it offers. The markets in Alaska for wireless and wireline telecommunications and video services are unique and distinct within the United States due to Alaska’s large geographical size, its sparse population located in a limited number of clusters, and its distance from the rest of the United States. The expertise GCI has developed in operating its businesses in Alaska may not provide GCI with the necessary expertise to successfully enter other geographic markets.

GCI’s technical infrastructure (including the Company's communications network infrastructure and ancillary functions supporting its network such as service activation, billing and customer care) is vulnerable to damage or interruption from technology failures, power surges or outages, natural disasters, fires, human error, terrorism, intentional wrongdoing or similar events. As a communications provider, there is an increased risk that GCI’s technological infrastructure may be targeted in connection with terrorism or cyberattacks, either as a primary target, or as a means of facilitating additional attacks on other targets.

In addition, earthquakes, floods, fires and other unforeseen natural disasters or events could materially disrupt GCI’s business operations or its provision of service in one or more markets. Specifically, the majority of GCI’s facilities are located in areas with known significant seismic activity. Costs GCI incurs to restore, repair or replace its network or technical infrastructure, as well as costs associated with detecting, monitoring or reducing the incidence of unauthorized use, may be substantial and increase GCI’s cost of providing service. Many of the areas in which GCI operates have limited emergency response services and may be difficult to reach in an emergency situation. Should a natural disaster or other event occur, it could be weeks or longer before remediation efforts could be implemented, if they could be implemented at all. Further, any failure in or interruption of systems that GCI or third parties maintain to support ancillary functions, such as billing, point of sale, inventory management, customer care and financial reporting, could materially impact GCI’s ability to timely and accurately record, process and report information important to the Company's business. If any of the above events were to occur, GCI could experience higher churn, reduced revenue and increased costs, any of which could harm its reputation and have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations.

Additionally, the Company's insurance may not be adequate to cover the costs associated with a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

Through the Company's operations, sales and marketing activities, it collects and stores certain non-public personal information related to its customers. The Company also gathers and retains information about employees in the normal course of business. The Company may share information about such persons with vendors, contractors and other third-parties that assist with certain aspects of its business. In addition, the Company's operations depend upon the transmission of information over the Internet. Unauthorized parties may attempt to gain access to the Company or its vendors’ computer systems by, among other things, hacking into its systems or those of third parties, through fraud or other means of deceiving the Company's employees or its vendors, burglaries, errors by the Company or its vendors’ employees, misappropriation of data by employees, or other irregularities that may result in persons obtaining unauthorized access to its data. The techniques used to gain such access to the Company's or its vendors’ technology systems, data or customer information, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems are constantly evolving, may be difficult to detect quickly, and often are not recognized until launched against a target.

Cyberattacks against GCI’s or the Company's vendors' technological infrastructure or breaches of network information technology may cause equipment failures, disruption of its or their operations, and potentially unauthorized access to confidential customer or employee data, which could subject the Company to increased costs and other liabilities as discussed further below. Cyberattacks, which include the use of malware, computer viruses, and other means for service disruption or unauthorized access to confidential customer or employee data, have increased in frequency, scope, and potential harm for businesses in recent years. It is possible for such cyberattacks to go undetected for an extended period of time, increasing the potential harm to GCI’s customers, employees, assets, and reputation.

To date, GCI has not been subject to cyberattacks or network disruptions that, individually or in the aggregate, have been material to GCI’s operations or financial condition. Although GCI has not detected a material security breach or cybersecurity incident to date, it has been the target of events of this nature and expects to be subject to similar attacks in the future. GCI engages in a variety of preventive measures at an increased cost to GCI, in order to reduce the risk of cyberattacks and safeguard its infrastructure and confidential customer information, but as with all companies, these measures may not be sufficient for all eventualities and there is no guarantee that they will be adequate to safeguard against all cyberattacks, system compromises or misuses of data. Such measures include, but are not limited to the following industry best practices: application whitelisting, anti-malware, message and spam filtering, encryption, advanced firewalls, threat detection, and URL filtering. Despite these preventive and detective actions, GCI’s efforts may be insufficient to repel a major cyberattack or network disruption in the future and prevent the risks described above.

Some of the most significant risks to GCI’s information technology systems, networks, and infrastructure include:

If hackers or cyberthieves gain improper access to GCI’s technology systems, networks, or infrastructure, they may be able to access, steal, publish, delete, misappropriate, modify or otherwise disrupt access to confidential customer or employee data. Moreover, additional harm to customers or employees could be perpetrated by third parties who are given access to the confidential customer data. A network disruption (including one resulting from a cyberattack) could cause an interruption or degradation of service and diversion of management attention, as well as permit access, theft, publishing, deletion, misappropriation, or modification to or of confidential customer data. Due to the evolving techniques used in cyberattacks to disrupt or gain unauthorized access to technology networks, GCI may not be able to anticipate or prevent such disruption or unauthorized access.

The costs imposed on the Company as a result of a cyberattack or network disruption could be significant. Among others, such costs could include increased expenditures on cyber security measures, litigation, regulatory actions, fines, sanctions, lost revenue from business interruption, and damage to the public’s perception regarding the Company's ability to provide a secure service. As a result, a cyberattack or network disruption could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, and operating results. The Company also faces similar risks associated with security breaches affecting third parties with which it is affiliated or otherwise conduct business. While the Company maintains cyber liability insurance that provides both third-party liability and first-party insurance coverage, its insurance may not be sufficient to protect against all of its losses from any future disruptions or breaches of its systems or other events as described above.

Video streaming services and peer-to-peer file sharing applications use significantly more bandwidth than traditional Internet activity such as web browsing and email. As use of these services continues to grow, GCI’s customers will likely use more bandwidth than in the past. Additionally, new wireless handsets and devices may place a higher demand for data on GCI’s wireless network. If this occurs, GCI could be required to make significant capital expenditures to increase network capacity in order to avoid service disruptions, service degradation or slower transmission speeds for its customers. Alternatively, GCI could choose to implement network management practices to reduce the network capacity available to bandwidth-intensive activities during certain times in market areas experiencing congestion, which could negatively affect its ability to retain and attract customers in affected areas. While the Company believes demand for these services may drive customers to pay for faster speeds, competitive or regulatory constraints may preclude GCI from recovering the costs of the necessary network investments which could result in an adverse impact to its business, financial condition, and operating results.

GCI relies heavily on its network equipment, communications providers, data and software to support all of its functions. GCI relies on its networks and the networks of others for substantially all of its revenue. GCI is able to deliver services and serve its customers only to the extent that it can protect its network systems against damage from power or

communication failures, computer viruses, natural disasters, unauthorized access and other disruptions. While GCI endeavors to provide for failures in the network by providing back-up systems and procedures, GCI cannot guarantee that these back-up systems and procedures will operate satisfactorily in an emergency. Disruption to its billing systems due to a failure of existing hardware and backup protocols could have an adverse effect on the Company's revenue and cash flow. Should GCI experience a prolonged failure, it could seriously jeopardize its ability to continue operations. In particular, should a significant service interruption occur, GCI’s ongoing customers may choose a different provider, and its reputation may be damaged, reducing its attractiveness to new customers.

GCI’s communications facilities include undersea fiber optic cable systems that carry a large portion of its traffic to and from the contiguous lower 48 states, one of which provides an alternative geographically diverse backup communication facility to the other. GCI’s facilities also include TERRA and its extensions some of which are unringed, operating in a remote environment and are at times difficult to access for repairs. Damage to an undersea fiber optic cable system or TERRA and its extensions could result in significant unplanned expense. For example, in January 2020, a fiber break occurred in GCI’s TERRA ring in Alaska’s Cook Inlet. Although service has been unaffected and the financial impact is not expected to be significant, full functionality is not expected to be restored until March 2020 due to the uniquely challenging environmental conditions in the location of the fiber break. If a failure of both sides of the ring of GCI’s undersea fiber optic facilities or GCI’s ringed TERRA facility and its unringed extensions occurs and GCI is not able to secure alternative facilities, some of the communications services GCI offers to its customers could be interrupted, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

GCI’s communications facilities include satellite transponders that GCI uses to serve many rural and remote Alaska locations. Each of GCI’s C-band and Ku-band satellite transponders are backed up using on-board transponder redundancy. In the event of a complete spacecraft failure the services are restored using capacity on other spacecraft that are held in reserve. If a failure of GCI’s satellite transponders occurs and GCI is not able to secure alternative facilities, some of the communications services GCI offers to its customers could be interrupted which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

GCI depends on a limited number of third-party vendors to supply wireless, Internet, video and other telephony-related equipment. If GCI’s providers of this equipment are unable to timely supply the equipment necessary to meet GCI’s needs or provide them at an acceptable cost, GCI may not be able to satisfy demand for its services and competitors may fulfill this demand. Due to the unique characteristics of the Alaska communications markets (i.e., remote locations, rural, satellite-served, low density populations, and the Company's leading edge services and products), in many situations GCI deploys and utilizes specialized, advanced technology and equipment that may not have a large market or demand. GCI’s vendors may not succeed in developing sufficient market penetration to sustain continuing production and may fail. Vendor bankruptcy, or acquisition without continuing product support by the acquiring company, may require GCI to replace technology before its otherwise useful end of life due to lack of on-going vendor support and product development.

The suppliers and vendors on which GCI relies may also be subject to litigation with respect to technology on which GCI depends, including litigation involving claims of patent infringement. Such claims have been growing rapidly in the communications industry. The Company is unable to predict whether GCI’s business will be affected by any such litigation. The Company expects GCI’s dependence on key suppliers to continue as they develop and introduce more advanced generations of technology. The failure of GCI’s key suppliers to provide products or product support could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial position, and results of operations.

As is typical in the communications industry, GCI is self-insured for damage or loss to certain of its transmission facilities, including its buried, undersea and above-ground fiber optic cable systems. If GCI becomes subject to substantial

uninsured liabilities due to damage or loss to such facilities, the Company's financial position, results of operations or liquidity may be adversely affected.

GCI's third-party billing services vendor may experience errors, cyber-attacks or other operational disruptions that could negatively impact GCI and over which GCI may have limited control. Interruptions and/or failure of this billing services system could disrupt GCI’s operations and impact its ability to provide or bill for its services, retain customers, or attract new customers, and negatively impact overall customer experience. Any occurrence of the foregoing could cause material adverse effects on the Company's operations and financial condition, material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting and reputational damage.

GCI does not manufacture devices or other equipment it sells, and GCI depends on its suppliers to provide defect-free and safe equipment. Suppliers are required by applicable law to manufacture their devices to meet certain governmentally imposed safety criteria. However, even if the devices GCI sells meet the regulatory safety criteria, GCI could be held liable with the equipment manufacturers and suppliers for any harm caused by products GCI sells if such products are later found to have design or manufacturing defects. The Company cannot guarantee that GCI will be fully protected against all losses associated with a product that is found to be defective.

Portable communications devices have been alleged to pose health risks, including cancer, due to radio frequency emissions from these devices. Purported class actions and other lawsuits have been filed from time to time against other wireless companies seeking not only damages but also remedies that could increase the cost of doing business. GCI cannot be sure of the outcome of any such cases or that the industry will not be adversely affected by litigation of this nature or public perception about health risks. The actual or perceived risk of mobile communications devices could adversely affect GCI through a reduction in subscribers. Further research and studies are ongoing, with no linkage between health risks and mobile phone use established to date by a credible public source. However, the Company cannot be sure that additional studies will not demonstrate a link between radio frequency emissions and health concerns.

Additionally, there are safety risks associated with the use of wireless devices while operating vehicles or equipment. Concerns over any of these risks and the effect of any legislation, rules or regulations that have been and may be adopted in response to these risks could limit GCI’s ability to sell its wireless services.

Risk Related to the Company as a Whole

In connection with the Transactions, the Company incurred substantial indebtedness, in addition to the indebtedness that GCI Liberty had outstanding prior to the completion of the Transactions, of $1.0 billion in term loan borrowings pursuant to the margin loan facility entered into by Broadband Holdco, LLC (“Broadband HoldCo”), which margin loan facility included the ability to request additional term loan facilities or increase the amount of the initial loan in an aggregate principal amount of up to $500 million (the “Margin Loan”). Subsequently, in October 2018, Broadband Holdco entered into Amendment No. 1 (the “Amendment”) to the Margin Loan (the “Margin Loan Agreement”). The Amendment established a revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $200 million (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) and reduced the existing term loan credit facility under the Margin Loan Agreement to $800 million (the “Term Loan Facility”). In November 2019, Broadband Holdco entered into Amendment No. 2 to the Margin Loan Agreement which established commitments for a new delayed draw term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $300.0. million ("Delayed Draw Term Loan Facility" and, together with the Revolving Credit Facility and the Term Loan Facility, the “Margin Loan Facility”). The Margin Loan Facility is secured by a pledge of approximately 42.7 million shares of Series C common stock of Liberty Broadband, which constitutes substantially all of the assets of Broadband Holdco. Following the Transactions, the Company's indebtedness as it existed prior to the Transactions is held through GCI, LLC, an intermediate holding company of GCI Liberty that holds, in turn, all of the capital stock of GCI Liberty's legacy operating subsidiaries, as well as all of the contributed HoldCo assets, including Broadband Holdco. The Company expects that the GCI Holdings operating subsidiaries will generate substantially all of the cash flow of its consolidated company. As of December 31, 2019, the indebtedness of GCI, LLC consists of $1,300.0 million in borrowings

under the Margin Loan Facility, $775.0 million in outstanding 6.625% senior notes due 2024 and the 6.875% senior notes due 2025 (together, the “Senior Notes”) and $512.7 million in outstanding term and revolving loans under a senior secured credit facility with a syndicate of banks (the “Senior Credit Facility”). In addition, as of December 31, 2019, the indebtedness of GCI Liberty includes $477.3 million of its outstanding 1.75% exchangeable senior debentures due 2046.

Qurate Retail, Liberty LLC, and GCI Liberty have entered into an indemnification agreement with the other parties thereto pursuant to which, among other things, (1) GCI Liberty will indemnify Liberty LLC with respect to any of Liberty LLC's 1.75% Exchangeable Debentures due 2046 (the “Liberty Charter Exchangeable Debentures”) surrendered for exchange to Liberty LLC on or before October 5, 2023 for the amount by which (i) the exchange value exceeds (ii) the sum of the adjusted principal amount of such Liberty Charter Exchangeable Debentures plus the amount of certain tax benefits attributable to such Liberty Charter Exchangeable Debentures so exchanged, and (2) Qurate Retail and GCI Liberty will indemnify each other with respect to certain potential losses in respect of the HoldCo Split-Off.

The ability of GCI Liberty, GCI, LLC, and Broadband Holdco to service their respective financial obligations will depend on their ability to access cash. The ability of GCI Liberty or GCI, LLC to access the cash of GCI Liberty's legacy operating subsidiaries will depend on those subsidiaries individual operating results and any statutory or regulatory restrictions. In addition, covenants included in GCI, LLC's Senior Notes and Senior Credit Facility will limit the ability of GCI, LLC to upstream cash to GCI Liberty or downstream cash to Broadband Holdco for this purpose. GCI Liberty's other potential sources of cash include its available cash balances, dividends and interest from its investments, monetization of the public investment portfolio contributed to GCI Liberty in the Transactions, and proceeds from asset sales. There can be no assurance that the Company will continue to maintain the amounts of cash or marketable securities that it has.

The Company has and will continue to have a significant amount of debt and lease obligations including capital, operating, and the tower obligations (see note 9 of its consolidated financial statements found in Part II of this report for additional information). The Company's high level of debt and lease obligations could have important consequences, including the following:

The Company will continue to require a significant amount of cash to satisfy its debt service requirements and to meet other obligations. As of December 31, 2019, the Company has outstanding approximately $3.1 billion principal amount of indebtedness on a consolidated basis. The Company's ability to make payments on and to refinance its debt and to fund planned capital expenditures and acquisitions will depend on its ability to generate cash and to arrange additional financing in the future. These abilities are subject to, among other factors, the Company's credit rating, its financial performance, general economic conditions, prevailing market conditions, the state of competition in its market, the outcome of certain legislative and regulatory issues and other factors that may be beyond its control. The Company's business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations and future borrowings may not be available to it in an amount sufficient to enable it to pay its debt or to fund its other liquidity needs. The Company may need to refinance all or a portion of its debt on or before maturity. The Company may

not be able to refinance any of its debt on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

The indentures governing the Company's Senior Notes and/or the credit agreements governing its Senior Credit Facility and other loans contain various covenants that could materially and adversely affect its ability to finance its future operations or capital needs and to engage in other business activities that may be in its best interest.

The various covenants may restrict the Company's ability to expand or to pursue its business strategies. The Company's ability to comply with these covenants may be affected by events beyond its control, such as prevailing economic conditions and changes in regulations, and if such events occur, it cannot be sure that it will be able to comply. A breach of these covenants could result in a default under the indentures and/or the credit agreements. If there were an event of default under the indentures and/or the credit agreements, holders of such defaulted debt could cause all amounts borrowed under these instruments to be due and payable immediately. Additionally, if the Company fails to repay the debt under the Senior Credit Facility when it becomes due, the lenders under the Senior Credit Facility could proceed against certain of its assets and capital stock of its subsidiaries that it has pledged to them as security. The Company's assets or cash flow may not be sufficient to repay borrowings under its outstanding debt instruments in the event of a default thereunder.

When the Company's Senior Credit Facility and Senior Notes mature, it will likely need to refinance them and may not be able to do so on favorable terms or at all. If the Company is able to refinance maturing indebtedness, the terms of any refinancing or alternate credit arrangements may contain terms and covenants that restrict its financial and operating flexibility.

The Company's borrowings under its Senior Credit Facility are at variable rates of interest and expose it to interest rate risk. If interest rates increase, the Company's debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness could increase even though the amount borrowed remained the same, and its net income and cash flow could decrease.

In addition, the Company’s variable rate indebtedness uses London Interbank Offering Rate (“LIBOR”) as a benchmark for establishing the rate. The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, has announced that it intends to stop encouraging or compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR rates after 2021 (the “FCA Announcement”). The FCA Announcement indicates that the continuation of LIBOR on the current basis is not guaranteed after 2021 and, based on the foregoing, it appears likely that LIBOR will be discontinued or modified by 2021. The effects of the FCA Announcement cannot be entirely predicted, but could include an increase in the cost of the Company’s variable rate indebtedness.

In order to manage the Company's exposure to interest rate risk, in the future, it may enter into derivative financial instruments, typically interest rate swaps and caps, involving the exchange of floating for fixed rate interest payments. If the Company is unable to enter into interest rate swaps, it may adversely affect its cash flow and may impact its ability to make required principal and interest payments on its indebtedness.

The Company had $1.2 billion of indefinite-lived intangible assets at December 31, 2019, consisting of goodwill of $855.8 million, cable certificates of $305.0 million, wireless licenses of $35.0 million and other intangibles of $6.5 million. Goodwill represents the excess of cost over fair value of net assets acquired in connection with business acquisitions and represents the future economic benefits expected to arise from other intangible assets acquired that do not qualify for separate recognition. The Company's cable certificates represent agreements with government entities to construct and operate a video business. The Company's wireless licenses are from the FCC and give it the right to provide wireless service within a certain geographical area. 

If the Company makes changes in its business strategy or if market or other conditions adversely affect its operations, it may be forced to record an impairment charge, which would lead to a decrease in its assets and a reduction in its net operating

performance. The Company's indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested annually for impairment during the fourth quarter and at any time upon the occurrence of certain events or substantive changes in circumstances that indicate the assets might be impaired. If the testing performed indicates that impairment has occurred, the Company is required to record an impairment charge for the difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the goodwill and/or the indefinite-lived intangible assets, as appropriate, in the period in which the determination is made. The testing of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment requires the Company to make significant estimates about its future performance and cash flows, as well as other assumptions. These estimates can be affected by numerous factors, including changes in economic, industry or market conditions, changes in underlying business operations, future operating performance, changes in competition, or changes in technologies. Any changes to key assumptions, or actual performance compared with those assumptions, about the Company's business and its future prospects or other assumptions could affect the fair value, resulting in an impairment charge.

Due to increased uncertainty around long-term wireless revenue, an impairment loss of $157.0 million was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2019 related to wireless licenses. The fair value of the wireless licenses was determined using an income approach (level 3). Due to certain market factors impacting GCI Holdings' operating results for the year ended December 31, 2018, impairment losses of $135.8 million and $65.0 million were recorded related to goodwill and cable certificates, respectively. The fair value of the cable certificates and the GCI Holdings reporting unit was determined using an income approach (Level 3). As of December 31, 2019, accumulated goodwill impairment losses for GCI Holdings totaled $135.8 million.

At December 31, 2019, the Company had federal and state net operating losses and disallowed business interest carryforwards of $178.9 million (on a tax effected basis) and, under the Code, it may carry forward its federal net operating losses and disallowed business interest deductions in certain circumstances to offset current and future taxable income and thus reduce its federal income tax liability, subject to certain requirements and restrictions. If the Company experiences an “ownership change,” as defined in Section 382 of the Code and related Treasury regulations (generally, a cumulative change in ownership that exceeds 50% of the value of a corporation's stock over a rolling three-year period) at a time when its market capitalization is below a certain level or if proposed Treasury regulations under Section 382 of the Code issued during 2019 become final (taking into account the delayed effective date of such regulations), the Company's ability to use its federal net operating loss carryforwards could be substantially limited. This limit could impact the timing of the usage of the Company's net operating loss and disallowed business interest carryforwards, thus accelerating federal cash tax payments or causing certain federal net operating loss carryforwards to expire prior to their use, which could affect the ultimate realization of that deferred tax asset. Similar limitations may also apply at the state level.

A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As described in "Part II. Item 9A. Controls and Procedures,” we have concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was ineffective as of December 31, 2019 due to a material weakness at our wholly-owned subsidiary, GCI Holdings. As discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, we identified two material weaknesses in GCI Holdings’ internal control over financial reporting one of which was remediated during 2019. The other material weakness remained unremediated as of December 31, 2019 and exists due to:

As a consequence, the information technology general controls around access to financially relevant systems were not consistently operating effectively to ensure that access to data and applications was adequately restricted to appropriate

personnel. Additionally, certain business process controls were not appropriately designed to be responsive to existing risks, nor were they consistently operating effectively. The control deficiencies did not result in any identified misstatements, however, a reasonable possibility exists that material misstatements in the Company’s consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

As further described in “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures,” the Company and GCI Holdings are taking the necessary steps to remediate the material weakness. The reliability of the internal control process requires repeatable execution and the successful remediation of this material weakness will require on-going training, monitoring and evidence of effectiveness prior to concluding that the controls are effective. Therefore, we cannot assure you the remediation efforts will be effective in the future or that additional material weaknesses will not develop or be identified.

Implementing any further changes to GCI Holdings’ internal controls may distract its officers and employees and entail material costs to implement new processes and/or modify its existing processes. Moreover, these changes do not guarantee that the Company will be effective in maintaining the adequacy of GCI Holdings’ internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy, or consequent inability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis, could harm our business. In addition, investors’ perceptions that GCI Holdings’ internal controls are inadequate or that the Company is unable to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis may harm the price of the Company's common stock.

Factors Relating to the Company's Common Stock and the Securities Market

The market price of the Company's common stock may fluctuate significantly due to a number of factors, some of which may be beyond its control, including:

The Company's Series B common stock is not widely held, with approximately 91% of the outstanding shares as of January 31, 2020 beneficially owned by John C. Malone, the Chairman of the board and a director of the Company. Although it is quoted on the OTC Markets, it is sparsely traded and does not have an active trading market. The OTC Markets tend to be highly illiquid, in part, because there is no national quotation system by which potential investors can track the market price of shares except through information received or generated by a limited number of broker-dealers that make markets in particular stocks. There is also a greater chance of market volatility for securities that trade on the OTC Markets as opposed to a national exchange or quotation system. This volatility is due to a variety of factors, including a lack of readily available price quotations, lower trading volume, absence of consistent administrative supervision of “bid” and “ask” quotations, and market conditions. Each share of the Series B common stock is convertible, at any time at the option of the holder, into one share of the Company's Series A common stock, which is listed and traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GLIBA.”

Certain provisions of the Company’s restated certificate of incorporation (“restated charter”) and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of it that a stockholder may consider favorable. These provisions include the following:

In addition, John C. Malone currently beneficially owns shares representing the power to direct approximately 28% of the aggregate voting power in the Company, due to his beneficial ownership of approximately 91% of the outstanding shares of its Series B common stock as of January 31, 2020.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 2. Properties

In connection with the Transactions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media entered into a facilities sharing agreement with the Company, pursuant to which the Company shares office facilities with Liberty Media located at 12300 Liberty Boulevard, Englewood, Colorado 80112.

GCI Holdings' properties do not lend themselves to description by location of principal units. The majority of GCI Holdings' properties are located in Alaska.

GCI Holdings leases most of its executive, corporate and administrative facilities and business offices. GCI Holdings' operating, executive, corporate and administrative properties are in good condition. GCI Holdings considers its properties suitable and adequate for its present needs and they are being fully utilized.

GCI Holdings' properties consist primarily of undersea and terrestrial fiber optic cable networks, switching equipment, satellite transponders and earth stations, microwave radio, cable and wire facilities, cable head-end equipment, wireless towers and equipment, coaxial distribution networks, connecting lines (aerial, underground and buried cable), routers, servers, transportation equipment, computer equipment, general office equipment, land, land improvements, landing stations and other buildings. See note 2 of the Company's consolidated financial statements found in Part II of this report for additional information on its properties. Substantial amounts of GCI Holdings' properties are located on or in leased real property or facilities. Substantially all of GCI Holdings' properties secure the Senior Credit Facility. See note 9 of the Company's consolidated financial statements found in Part II of this report for additional information on the Senior Credit Facility.

The Company is involved in various lawsuits, billing disputes, legal proceedings, and regulatory matters that have arisen from time to time in the normal course of business. Management believes there are no proceedings from asserted and unasserted claims which if determined adversely would have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or liquidity. See note 16 of the Company's consolidated financial statements found in Part II of this report for additional information.

Not Applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

On April 4, 2017, Liberty Interactive Corporation, now known as Qurate Retail, Inc. (“Qurate Retail”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization with General Communication, Inc. (“GCI”), an Alaska corporation and parent company of GCI Holdings, LLC, and Liberty Interactive LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a direct wholly‑owned subsidiary of Qurate Retail. GCI’s Class A common stock traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GNCMA” and its Class B common stock was quoted on the OTC Markets under the symbol “GNCMB.” Pursuant to the reorganization agreement, on February 20, 2018, GCI amended and restated its articles of incorporation, which resulted in GCI being renamed GCI Liberty, Inc. (“Predecessor GCI Liberty”) and GCI’s issued and outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock being reclassified into shares of Predecessor GCI Liberty’s Class A-1 common stock and Class B-1 common stock, respectively. Predecessor GCI Liberty’s Class A-1 common stock continued to be traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GNCMA” and its Class B-1 common stock continued to be quoted on the OTC Markets under the symbol “GNCMB.” Following these events, (i) Qurate Retail acquired Predecessor GCI Liberty on March 9, 2018 through a reorganization in which certain Qurate Retail interests, assets and liabilities attributed to its Ventures Group, were contributed to Predecessor GCI Liberty in exchange for shares of Predecessor GCI Liberty’s Class A-1 common stock and Class B-1 common stock and, following such contribution, (ii) Predecessor GCI Liberty’s Class A-1 common stock and Class B-1 common stock automatically converted into (x) a fraction of a share of Predecessor GCI Liberty’s Class A common stock equal to 0.63 and (y) a fraction of a share of the Predecessor GCI Liberty’s Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock equal to 0.2, in each case, without any action by the holder thereof. Predecessor GCI Liberty’s Class A common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GLIBA” on March 12, 2018.

On May 10, 2018, Predecessor GCI Liberty changed its state of incorporation from Alaska to Delaware pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated March 22, 2018 (the “Reincorporation Merger Agreement”). Pursuant to the Reincorporation Merger Agreement, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Predecessor GCI Liberty merged into GCI Liberty and each outstanding share of Predecessor GCI Liberty Class A and Class B common stock was automatically converted into one share of GCI Liberty common stock. Following the reincorporation merger, shares of GCI Liberty Series A common stock continued to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GLIBA,” and, since April 27, 2018, shares of GCI Liberty Series B common stock have been quoted on the OTC Markets under the symbol “GLIBB.” Stock price information for securities traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market can be found on the Nasdaq’s website at www.nasdaq.com.

Although the transactions discussed above resulted in changes to the classes and series of outstanding shares of GCI, Predecessor GCI Liberty and our company and related ticker symbol changes, historical information of GCI’s Class B common stock and Predecessor GCI Liberty’s Class B-1 common stock and Class B common stock refers to such stock as our Series B common stock. The following table sets forth the high and low sales price for our Series B common stock for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. There is no established public trading market for our Series B common stock, which is quoted on OTC Market. Such over-the-counter market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.

As of January 31, 2020, there were 1,513 holders of record of our Series A common stock and 51 holders of record of our Series B common stock. The foregoing numbers of record holders do not include the number of stockholders whose shares are held nominally by banks, brokerage houses or other institutions, but include each such institution as one shareholder.

The Company has not paid any cash dividends on its common stock, and it has no present intention of so doing. Payment of cash dividends, if any, on the common stock in the future will be determined by the Company's board of directors in light of its earnings, financial condition and other relevant considerations. See Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation – Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

Broadridge is the Company's stock transfer agent and registrar.

 

Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the Company's definitive proxy statement for its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

On March 9, 2018, the board of directors authorized a share repurchase program for $650 million of GCI Liberty Class A and Class B common stock. On June 25, 2018, the board of directors of GCI Liberty reapproved such repurchase program with respect to GCI Liberty's Series A and Series B common stock. There were no repurchases of GCI Liberty capital stock under the authorized share repurchase program during the three months ended December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2019, $494.4 million of GCI Liberty’s Series A and Series B common stock may be purchased under the repurchase program.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The following tables present selected historical information relating to financial condition and results of operations over the past five years. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified for comparability with the current year presentation. The following data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis provides information concerning our results of operations and financial condition. This discussion should be read in conjunction with our accompanying consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto. Additionally, see notes 2 and 10 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for an overview of new accounting standards that the Company has adopted or that it plans to adopt that have had or may have an impact on its financial statements.

Overview

The contribution was treated as a reverse acquisition under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). For accounting purposes, HoldCo is considered to have acquired GCI Liberty in the contribution based, among other considerations, upon the fact that in exchange for the contribution of HoldCo, Qurate Retail received a controlling interest in the combined company of GCI Liberty.

Following the contribution and acquisition of GCI Liberty, Qurate Retail effected a tax free separation of its controlling interest in the combined company, GCI Liberty, to the holders of Qurate Retail's Liberty Ventures common stock in full redemption of all outstanding shares of such stock (the "HoldCo Split-Off"), in which each outstanding share of Qurate Retail's Series A Liberty Ventures common stock was redeemed for one share of GCI Liberty Class A common stock and each outstanding share of Qurate Retail's Series B Liberty Ventures common stock was redeemed for one share of GCI Liberty Class B common stock. In July 2018, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") completed its review of the HoldCo Split-Off and informed Qurate Retail that it agreed with the nontaxable characterization of the transactions. Qurate Retail received an Issue Resolution Agreement from the IRS documenting this conclusion.

On May 10, 2018, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 22, 2018, GCI Liberty completed its reincorporation into Delaware by merging with its wholly owned Delaware subsidiary, which was the surviving corporation (the “Reincorporation Merger”). References to GCI Liberty or the Company prior to May 10, 2018 refer to GCI Liberty, Inc., an Alaska corporation and references to GCI Liberty after May 10, 2018 refer to GCI Liberty, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Update on Economic Conditions

GCI Holdings offers wireless and wireline telecommunication services, data services, video services, and managed services to customers primarily throughout Alaska. Because of this geographic concentration, growth of GCI Holdings' business and operations depends upon economic conditions in Alaska. The economy of Alaska is dependent upon the oil industry, state government spending, United States military spending, investment earnings and tourism. Prolonged periods of low oil prices adversely impacts the Alaska economy, which in turn can have an adverse impact on the demand for GCI Holdings' products and services and on its results of operations and financial condition.

Low oil prices have put significant pressure on the Alaska state government budget since the majority of its revenue comes from the oil industry. While the Alaska state government has significant reserves that GCI Holdings believes will help fund the state government for the next couple of years, major structural budgetary reforms will need to be implemented in order to offset the impact of low oil prices.

The Alaska economy was in a recession from late 2015 to 2019, and lingering effects of that recession remain present in the Alaska economy. Further, the Alaska economy may experience another recession in the future. While it is difficult for the Company to predict the future impact of the recent recession, the current period of slow growth or any future recession on GCI Holdings’ business, these conditions have had, or could have, an adverse impact on GCI Holdings’ business and could adversely affect the affordability of and demand for some of its products and services and cause customers to shift to lower priced products and services or delay or forgo purchases of its products and services. Additionally, GCI Holdings’ customers may not be able to obtain adequate access to credit, which could affect their ability to make timely payments to GCI Holdings. If that were to occur, the Company could be required to increase its allowance for doubtful accounts, and the number of days outstanding for its accounts receivable could increase. If the lingering effects of that recession continues, the Alaska economy does not resume normal levels of growth or the Alaska economy experiences another recession, it could negatively affect GCI Holdings’ business including the Company's financial position, results of operations, or liquidity, as well as its ability to service debt, pay other obligations and enhance shareholder returns.

Rural Health Care (“RHC”) Program

GCI Holdings receives support from various Universal Service Fund ("USF") programs including the RHC Program. The USF programs are subject to change by regulatory actions taken by the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), interpretations of or compliance with USF program rules, or legislative actions. Changes to any of the USF programs that GCI Holdings participates in could result in a material decrease in revenue and accounts receivable, which could have an adverse effect on GCI Holdings' business and the Company's financial position, results of operations or liquidity. The following paragraphs describe certain separate matters related to the RHC Program that impact or could impact the revenue earned and receivables recognized by the Company. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had net accounts receivable from the RHC Program in the amount of $118.8 million, which is included within Other assets, net and $12.0 million, which is included within Trade and other receivables in the consolidated balance sheets.

In November 2017, the Universal Service Administrative Company ("USAC") requested further information in support of the rural rates charged to a number of GCI Holdings' RHC customers in connection with the funding requests for the year that runs July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. On October 10, 2018, GCI Holdings received a letter from the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau (“Bureau”) notifying it of the Bureau’s decision to reduce the rural rates charged to RHC customers for the funding year that ended on June 30, 2018 by approximately 26% resulting in a reduction of total support payments of $27.8 million. The FCC also informed GCI Holdings that the same cost methodology used for the funding year that ended on June 30, 2018 would be applied to rates charged to RHC customers in subsequent funding years. In response to the letter from the Bureau, GCI Holdings filed an Application for Review of the Bureau’s decision with the FCC. In the third quarter of 2018, GCI Holdings recorded a $19.1 million reduction in its receivables balance as part of its acquisition accounting and recorded a reduction in revenue for the funding year that ended on June 30, 2018 of approximately $8.6 million. GCI Holdings has reduced RHC Program revenue by a similar rate as to the funding year that ended on June 30, 2018, which based on a current run rate would approximate $7.0 million per quarter through the funding year that ended June 30, 2019 and would approximate $8 million per quarter through the funding year that will end June 30, 2020 until it can reach a final resolution with the FCC regarding the funding amounts.

On March 15, 2018, USAC announced that the funding requests for the year that runs July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 exceeded the funding available for the RHC Program. Since that time, on June 25, 2018, the FCC issued an order resulting in an increase of the annual RHC Program funding cap from $400.0 million to $571.0 million and applied it to the funding year that ended on June 30, 2018. The FCC also determined that it would annually adjust the RHC Program funding cap for inflation, beginning with the funding year ending on June 30, 2019 and carry-forward unused funds from past funding years for use in future funding years. As a result, aggregate funding is expected to be available to pay in full the approved funding under the RHC Program for the funding years ended on June 30, 2018 and 2019. On June 10, 2019, the FCC released a public notice noting that the funding cap for the funding year ending on June 30, 2020 is $594 million, also noting that USAC projects that $83 million in unused funds will be available for use in the funding year ending on June 30, 2020. On February 14, 2020, USAC informed the FCC that it had identified an additional $162.7 million of unused funds available for use in future years, and that it had begun issuing commitments fully funding qualified single year requests in the Telecom and Healthcare Connect portions of the RHC Program for the funding year ending on June 30, 2020.

In addition, on March 23, 2018, GCI Holdings received a separate letter of inquiry and request for information from the Enforcement Bureau of the FCC relating to the period beginning January 1, 2015 and including all future periods, to which it is in the process of responding. This includes inquiry into the rates charged by GCI Holdings that are still pending, and presently it is unable to assess the ultimate resolution of this rate inquiry. Other aspects related to the Enforcement Bureau’s review of GCI Holdings’ compliance with program rules are discussed separately below. The ongoing uncertainty in program funding, as well as the uncertainty associated with the rate review, could have an adverse effect on its business, financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

On November 30, 2018, GCI Holdings received multiple funding denial notices from USAC, denying requested funding from the RHC Program operated by a rural health customer (the “Customer”) for the funding year that ended on June 30, 2018. In November 2017, USAC requested information from the Customer related to bidding process documentation for two separate service contracts GCI Holdings has with the Customer. Although the Customer timely responded, USAC found that bids previously received were not submitted with the original funding request and/or that bidding information submitted was related to the wrong bidding year. The Customer appealed this decision in early 2019 and on May 6, 2019 USAC denied the Customer’s appeal. The Customer then appealed USAC’s decision to the Bureau on July 5, 2019. As of March 31, 2019, GCI Holdings had accounts receivable of approximately $21.3 million outstanding associated with these two service contracts, which is dependent upon receipt of funding from USAC. Given that USAC denied the Customer’s appeal as specifically outlined in the May 6, 2019 letter received by the Customer, the Company determined at the time it was probable that GCI Holdings incurred a loss and an accounts receivable reserve was recorded in the amount of $21.3 million and an associated bad debt expense was recorded during the first quarter of 2019 and included within Selling, general, and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Additionally, because of the uncertainty of the Customer’s future appeals process and uncertainty relating to our ability to recover payment directly from the Customer, the Company no longer believed revenue associated with the two service contracts should be recognized. Historical annual revenue associated with the two service contracts was approximately $12.0 million in total and was expected to be the same in future periods. Revenue has not been recognized beyond the first quarter of 2019.

On February 19, 2020, the Bureau issued an FCC order that granted the Customer’s appeal for the two service contracts that were originally denied funding by USAC. In the order, the FCC has directed USAC to reverse its previous funding denials. Because the FCC order provides the Company with additional information subsequent to December 31, 2019 about the resolution of a contingency that existed as of year-end, the Company has recognized the impact of the FCC order in our consolidated financial statements. Such impact resulted in the reversal of the previously recorded $21.3 million accounts receivable reserve and associated bad debt expense included within Selling, general, and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company also considered whether it should recognize revenue in 2019 related to the two service contracts for the period where it previously had not recognized revenue because of the uncertainty around its ability to collect consideration from the Customer. Because the Company was unable to conclude at any time prior to December 31, 2019 that collection of consideration under the two service contracts was probable, the Company concluded that revenue should not be recognized for any period subsequent to the first quarter of 2019 in accordance with the applicable revenue recognition criteria. The Company will reevaluate the applicable revenue recognition criteria in the first quarter of 2020 to determine whether it can (i) begin recognizing revenue associated with the Customer’s two service contracts and (ii) recognize revenue for the period in 2019 when it ceased recognizing revenue because of the uncertainty relating to its ability to recover payment directly from the Customer. Although the Company has not recognized revenue beyond the first quarter of 2019 related to the Customer’s two service contracts, the Company has continued to provide service to the Customer and such fact will be considered in the revenue recognition analysis in the first quarter of 2020.

On August 20, 2019, the FCC released an order adopting changes to the RHC Program that will revise the manner in which support issued under the RHC Program will be calculated and approved. Some of these changes will become effective beginning with the funding year ending June 30, 2021, while others will apply beginning with the funding year ending June 30, 2022. On October 21, 2019, GCI Holdings appealed the order to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. On December 6, 2019, that appeal was held in abeyance for nine months due to pending Petitions for Reconsideration filed by other parties at the FCC. The proposed methodology for calculating and approving support under these changes relies on information that has not yet been collected and analyzed by USAC, and therefore GCI Holdings cannot assess at this time the substance, impact on funding, or timing of these changes adopted by the FCC.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company became aware of potential RHC Program compliance issues related to certain of GCI Holdings’ currently active and expired contracts with certain of its RHC customers. The Company and its

external experts performed significant and extensive procedures to determine whether GCI Holdings’ currently active and expired contracts with its RHC customers would be deemed to be in compliance with the RHC Program rules. Based on these procedures, the Company accrued a loss of approximately $17.0 million for contracts that are deemed probable of not complying with the RHC Program rules. The Company recorded the estimated loss as an expense within Selling, general, and administrative in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company also identified certain contracts where additional loss was reasonably possible and such loss could range from zero to $44.0 million. An accrual was not made for the amount of the reasonably possible loss in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance. GCI Holdings could also be assessed fines and penalties but such amounts could not be reasonably estimated. GCI Holdings has notified the FCC of our potential compliance issues and will continue to work with the FCC to resolve such matters.

Results of Operations - Consolidated

of purchase accounting. See “Results of Operations-GCI Holdings, LLC” below for a more complete discussion of the results of operations of GCI Holdings.

Operating losses for corporate and other decreased $6.4 million and $14.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, as compared to the corresponding prior year periods. The decreases are primarily due to a decrease in costs associated with the Transactions partially offset by an increase in costs at Evite and increased public company costs.

Consolidated Adjusted OIBDA increased $41.9 million and $218.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, as compared to the corresponding prior year periods. The increases in 2019 and 2018 are primarily due to the acquisition of GCI Holdings on March 9, 2018. See “Results of Operations-GCI Holdings, LLC” below for a more complete discussion of the results of operations of GCI Holdings.

Other Income and Expense

The changes in these accounts are primarily due to market factors and changes in the fair value of the underlying stocks or financial instruments to which they are related. The increase in 2019 was primarily driven by an increase in the market value of our investments in Liberty Broadband and Charter as compared to the corresponding prior year period. The decrease in 2018 was primarily driven by a decrease in the market value of our investments in Liberty Broadband and Charter as compared to the corresponding prior year period.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the income tax expense in excess of expected federal tax expense is primarily due to state income tax expense.

For the year ended December 31, 2018, the income tax benefit was lower than the U.S. statutory tax rate of 21% primarily due to a change in the effective tax rate used to measure deferred taxes due to the acquisition as discussed in notes 1 and 4 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and a goodwill impairment that is not deductible for tax purposes, partially offset by a change in the state effective tax rate used to measure deferred taxes resulting from a state law change.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2017, the most significant reconciling item is a net tax benefit for the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% on deferred taxes.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2019, substantially all of the Company's cash and cash equivalents were invested in U.S. Treasury securities, securities of other government agencies, AAA rated money market funds and other highly rated financial and corporate debt instruments.

The following are potential sources of liquidity: available cash balances, proceeds from asset sales, monetization of the Company's investments, outstanding or anticipated debt facilities, and debt and equity issuances. To the extent that the Company recognizes any taxable gains from the sale of assets, the Company may incur tax expense and be required to make tax payments, thereby reducing any cash proceeds. The Company believes it has sufficient cash from operating activities and cash on hand to fund its business.

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had a cash and cash equivalents balance of $569.5 million of which $60.8 million is held by the Company's subsidiaries.

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company's primary uses of cash included capital expenditures, repurchases of GCI Liberty Series A common stock, settlement of a derivative instrument and repayment of debt, finance lease, and tower obligations. The repayment of debt included payment of $325.0 million to fund the redemption of $325.0 million aggregate outstanding principal amount of GCI, LLC's 6.75% Senior Notes due 2021. The Company's primary sources of cash in 2019 included cash from operations, borrowing $400.0 million under the Company's margin loan, borrowing $325.0 million as part of the newly issued 2024 Notes (as defined in note 9 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements) and proceeds from derivative instruments. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company’s primary uses of cash included a $1.1 billion distribution to its former parent in connection with the Transactions, $254.0 million in repayments of debt, a $132.7 million indemnification payment to Qurate Retail, $111.6 million in repurchases of GCI Liberty Series A common stock, and a $80.0 million derivative payment in connection with the Transactions. The Company’s primary sources of cash in 2018 included cash from operations, borrowing $1.5 billion under the Company's margin loan and exchangeable senior debentures, and cash from the acquisition of GCI Holdings on March 9, 2018.

Net cash used by investing activities consists primarily of cash paid for capital expenditures. The Company's significant recurring investing activity has been GCI Holdings' capital expenditures. The Company expects that this will continue in the future.

Proceeds from borrowings fluctuate from year to year based on the Company's liquidity needs. The Company may use excess cash to make optional repayments on its debt or repurchase its common stock depending on various factors, such as market conditions.

The projected uses of the Company's cash in 2020 are capital expenditures of approximately $140 million, approximately $131 million for interest payments on outstanding debt, approximately $13 million for preferred stock dividends, repurchases of GCI Liberty Series A common stock under the approved share buyback program, and potential additional investments in existing or new businesses.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Aggregate Contractual Obligations

We have contingent liabilities related to legal and tax proceedings and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. Although it is reasonably possible we may incur losses upon conclusion of such matters, an estimate of any loss or range of loss cannot be made. In the opinion of management, it is expected that amounts, if any, which may be required to satisfy such contingencies will not be material in relation to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Information concerning the amount and timing of required payments, both accrued and off-balance sheet, under our contractual obligations, is summarized below.

Critical Accounting Estimates

The preparation of the Company's financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires it to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Listed below are the accounting estimates that the Company believes are critical to its financial statements due to the degree of uncertainty regarding the estimates or assumptions involved and the magnitude of the asset, liability, revenue or expense being reported. All of these accounting estimates and assumptions, as well as the resulting impact to the Company's financial statements, have been discussed with the audit committee of the Company's board of directors.

The Company periodically reviews the carrying value of its intangible assets with definite lives and other long-lived assets to be used in operations whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets or asset groups might not be recoverable. Factors that would necessitate an impairment assessment include a significant adverse change in the extent or manner in which an asset is used, a significant adverse change in legal factors or the business climate that could affect the value of the asset group, or a significant decline in the observable market value of an asset group, among others. If such facts indicate a potential impairment, the recoverability of the asset group is assessed by determining whether the carrying value of the asset group exceeds the sum of the projected undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset group over the remaining economic life of the asset group. If the carrying amount of the asset group is greater than the expected undiscounted cash flows to be generated by such asset group, including its ultimate disposition, an impairment adjustment is recognized.

If the carrying value of the Company's amortizing intangible or long-lived assets exceeds their estimated fair value, the Company is required to write the carrying value down to fair value. Any such write down is included in impairment expense in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. A high degree of judgment is required to estimate the fair value of the Company's amortizing intangible and long-lived assets. The Company may use quoted market prices, prices for similar assets, present value techniques and other valuation techniques to prepare these estimates. The Company may need to make estimates of future cash flows and discount rates as well as other assumptions in order to implement these valuation techniques. Due to

the high degree of judgment involved in our estimation techniques, any value ultimately derived from the Company's amortizing intangible or long-lived assets may differ from its estimate of fair value.

The Company utilizes the cost approach as the primary method used to establish fair value for its property and equipment in connection with business combinations. The cost approach considers the amount required to replace an asset by constructing or purchasing a new asset with similar utility, then adjusts the value in consideration of physical depreciation and functional and technological obsolescence as of the appraisal date. The cost approach relies on management’s assumptions regarding current material and labor costs required to rebuild and repurchase significant components of the Company's property and equipment along with assumptions regarding the age and estimated useful lives of its property and equipment.

The accounting guidance permits entities to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If the qualitative assessment supports that it is more likely than not that the carrying value of the Company's indefinite-lived intangible assets, other than goodwill, exceeds its fair value, then a quantitative assessment is performed. At December 31, 2019, the Company performed a qualitative assessment of its cable certificates and concluded that it is more likely than not that the fair value exceeds the carrying value. At December 31, 2019, the Company determined that it was necessary to perform a quantitative impairment assessment of its wireless licenses for which an impairment of $157.0 million was recorded. At December 31, 2018, the Company determined that it was necessary to perform a quantitative impairment assessment of its cable certificates and wireless licenses for which an impairment of $65.0 million was recorded related to its cable certificates (see note 8 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements).

The Company utilizes an income approach as the primary method used to establish fair value for its customer relationships, cable certificates, and wireless licenses in connection with business combinations and annual impairment testing when deemed necessary. The income approach quantifies the expected earnings of the Company's customer relationships, cable certificates, and wireless licenses by isolating the after tax cash flows attributable to the respective asset and then discounting the cash flows to their present value. The income approach relies on management’s assumptions such as projected revenue, market penetration, expenses, capital expenditures, customer trends, and a discount rate applied to the estimated after tax cash flows.

The Company performs an annual assessment of the recoverability of its goodwill during the fourth quarter, or more frequently, if events and circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. The Company utilizes a qualitative assessment for determining whether the quantitative goodwill impairment analysis is necessary. The accounting guidance permits entities to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. In evaluating goodwill on a qualitative basis, the Company reviews the business performance of each reporting unit and evaluates other relevant factors as identified in the relevant accounting guidance to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indicated impairment exists for any of its reporting units. The Company considers whether there are any negative macroeconomic conditions, industry specific conditions, market changes, increased competition, increased costs in doing business, management challenges, legal environments and how these factors might impact company specific performance in future periods. As part of the analysis, the Company also considers fair value determinations for certain reporting units that have been made at various points throughout the current and prior year for other purposes. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company determined that it was necessary to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment assessment for the GCI Holdings reporting unit. The Company did not record an impairment for goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2019. An impairment was recorded in the amount of $135.8 million (see note 8 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements) for the year ended December 31, 2018.

The fair value of goodwill is determined using an income approach. The Company’s income approach model used for its goodwill valuation is consistent with that used for the cable certificates except that cash flows from the entire business enterprise are used for the goodwill valuation.

inability to generate sufficient future taxable income or unpredicted results from the final determination of each year's liability by taxing authorities. These changes could have a significant impact on the Company's financial position.

Results of Operations - GCI Holdings, LLC

GCI Holdings provides a full range of wireless, data, video, voice, and managed services to residential, businesses, governmental entities, and educational and medical institutions primarily in Alaska. We have seen a general decrease in subscriber metrics primarily due to the recent recession in Alaska as discussed in the Overview section combined with macro trends such as cord cutting by video subscribers. The following table highlights selected key performance indicators used in evaluating GCI Holdings.

As described in notes 1 and 4 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, for accounting purposes, HoldCo is considered to have acquired GCI Liberty in the contribution. Although GCI Holdings’ results are only included in the Company’s results beginning on March 9, 2018, we believe a discussion of GCI Holdings’ results for all periods presented promotes a better understanding of the overall results of its business. For comparison and discussion purposes the Company is presenting the pro forma results of GCI Holdings for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, inclusive of acquisition accounting adjustments. The pro forma financial information was prepared based on the historical financial information of GCI Holdings and assuming the acquisition of GCI Holdings took place on January 1, 2017. The Company has made pro forma adjustments to the results for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 to reflect the impact of the FCC's decision in regards to RHC funding as described above in the Rural Health Care Program section. The financial information below is presented for illustrative purposes only and does not purport to represent what the results of operations of GCI Holdings would actually have been had the business combination occurred on January 1, 2017, or to project the results of operations of GCI

Holdings for any future periods. The pro forma adjustments are based on available information and certain assumptions that the Company's management believes are reasonable. The pro forma adjustments are directly attributable to the business combination including adjustments related to the amortization of acquired tangible and intangible assets, stock-based compensation, and the exclusion of transaction related costs; RHC funding as described above; and the new revenue standard and are expected to have a continuing impact on the results of operations of GCI Holdings.

GCI Holdings' operating results for the year ended December 31, 2019 and pro forma operating results for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 are as follows:

Revenue

wireless subscribers, a decrease in USF high cost support ("High Cost Support") of $2.4 million due to the previously disclosed end of High Cost Support for urban areas as of December 31, 2018, and a $1.3 million decrease in the subsidy for Lifeline subscribers due to a reduction of the subsidy provided by the State of Alaska. The decrease in revenue in 2018 was partially due to a $4.2 million decrease in wireless plan fee revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018 as compared to the corresponding prior year period, which was primarily driven by a decrease in the number of subscribers and the forgiveness of a month of service for our wireless customers due to the implementation of the new billing system as discussed above. Additionally, there was a decrease of $2.2 million in High Cost Support due to a scheduled decrease in cash received for High Cost Support for urban areas for 2018. The decreases discussed above were partially offset by a $5.1 million increase in wireless equipment revenue in 2018, which was primarily driven by an increase in the number of higher priced wireless devices sold.

decrease in 2018 was primarily due to a $3.9 million decrease in video distribution and programming costs primarily due to a decrease in the number of video subscribers; a $5.1 million decrease in wireless costs due to a decrease in wireless distribution costs driven by construction of facilities that allowed the Company to move traffic to its network; a $3.1 million decrease in professional services expense due to a decrease in special project work; and a $2.7 million decrease in voice costs due to the decrease in long distance traffic and a reduction of local access lines in service.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The Company is exposed to market risk in the normal course of business due to its ongoing investing and financial activities. Market risk refers to the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in stock prices and interest rates. The risk of loss can be assessed from the perspective of adverse changes in fair values, cash flows and future earnings. The Company has established policies, procedures and internal processes governing our management of market risks and the use of financial instruments to manage its exposure to such risks.

The Company is exposed to changes in interest rates primarily as a result of its borrowing and investment activities, which include investments in fixed and floating rate debt instruments and borrowings used to maintain liquidity and to fund business operations. The nature and amount of its long-term and short-term debt are expected to vary as a result of future requirements, market conditions and other factors. The Company manages its exposure to interest rates by maintaining what it believes is an appropriate mix of fixed and variable rate debt. The Company believes this best protects it from interest rate risk. The Company has achieved this mix by (i) issuing fixed rate debt that it believes has a low stated interest rate and significant term to maturity, (ii) issuing variable rate debt with appropriate maturities and interest rates and (iii) entering into interest rate swap arrangements when it deems appropriate. As of December 31, 2019, the Company's debt is comprised of the following amounts:

The Company is exposed to changes in stock prices primarily as a result of its significant holdings in publicly traded securities. The Company continually monitors changes in stock markets, in general, and changes in the stock prices of its holdings, specifically. The Company believes that changes in stock prices can be expected to vary as a result of general market conditions, technological changes, specific industry changes and other factors. The Company periodically uses equity collars and other financial instruments to manage market risk associated with certain investment positions. These instruments are recorded at fair value based on option pricing models.

At December 31, 2019, the fair value of the Company's equity securities was $2.6 billion. Had the market price of such securities been 10% lower at December 31, 2019, the aggregate value of such securities would have been $261 million lower. At December 31, 2019, the fair value of the Company's investment in Liberty Broadband was $5.4 billion. Had the market price of such security been 10% lower at December 31, 2019, the fair value of such security would have been $537 million lower. Additionally, the Company's investment in LendingTree (an equity method affiliate) is a publicly traded security which is not reflected at fair value in the Company's financial statements. This security is subject to market risk which is not directly reflected in our financial statements.

Item 9. Changes In and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

In accordance with Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15, the Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including its chief executive officer and its principal accounting and financial officer (the “Executives”), of the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the Executives concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2019 due to a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting that is described below in “Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.”

However, giving full consideration to the material weakness, the Company’s management has concluded that the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K present fairly, in all material respects, the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods disclosed in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). The Company’s independent registered accounting firm, KPMG LLP, has issued its report dated February 26, 2020, which expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Remediation Plan for Material Weakness in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

In response to the material weakness identified in “Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting,” the Company, with oversight from the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, developed a plan to remediate the material weakness at GCI Holdings. Remediation activities include:

Item 9B. Other Information.

None.

MANAGEMENT'S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over the Company’s financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Because of inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies and procedures may deteriorate.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

GCI Liberty, Inc.:

Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive earnings (loss), cash flows, and equity for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and our report dated February 26, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.

A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. A material weakness has been identified at GCI Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary, and included in management’s assessment related to:

The material weakness was considered in determining the nature, timing, and extent of audit tests applied in our audit of the 2019 consolidated financial statements, and this report does not affect our report on those consolidated financial statements.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Denver, Colorado

February 26, 2020

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

GCI Liberty, Inc.:

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of GCI Liberty, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive earnings (loss), cash flows, and equity for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for leases as of January 1, 2019 due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 842, Leases.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2017.

Denver, Colorado

February 26, 2020