PORT TOWNSEND — The assets of East Jefferson County’s cable TV provider are up for auction, and Wave Broadband is the front-running “stalking horse” in the system’s purchase.
The Oct. 20 auction could make Wave, which already serves Port Angeles and Sequim, the principal North Olympic Peninsula cable provider.
The auction of Dallas-based Broadstripe LLC, in which WaveDivision Holdings LLC is currently the only bidder, is scheduled to take place in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del.
Broadstripe also supplies Internet and digital telephone services to East Jefferson County, but is also the only cable television option in Port Townsend.
It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2009 but has continued operation until a buyer could be found.
Wave, the Kirkland-based company that is the cable provider for Port Angeles and Sequim, has bid for Broadstripe’s Oregon and Washington assets.
The Washington and Oregon properties which reach more than 103,000 homes, would increase Wave’s total 300,000 customer base by 25 percent.
East Jefferson County is a drop in the bucket, as the company serves approximately 3,500 basic cable customers and 3,400 Internet and phone customers, according to local service manager Steve Jamber.
Jamber said this does not mean the company serves 7,000 people, as many of the customers have overlapping services.
These customers live in Port Townsend, Port Ludlow, Port Hadlock, Quilcene and Brinnon.
In addition to East Jefferson County, Broadstripe operates in portions of Seattle, Chelan, Tukwila and other smaller communities throughout the state.
Wave is currently the only bidder but others could emerge at the last minute, according to Reece Fulgham, who is representing Broadstripe throughout the process.
The sale must be approved by the Bankruptcy Court. Upon approval, the transition is expected to take up to four months before the sale can be officially completed, according to a news release.
Wave spokesperson Jennifer Jeter said the company would provide a consistent level of service to Broadstripe customers and would offer several service options.
“Once the purchase is approved, we will see what the existing system is in place and what improvements we can make,” she said.
“We are very customer service-oriented, so if someone is happy with what they are using we will continue to supply what they want.”
Basic cable offered by Broadstripe has 61 channels, while Wave provides 99 channels to its basic customers, according to the TV Guide web site.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.