• by Wayne Friedman , August 6, 2013

Amid swirling reports of mergers, cable operator Charter Communications had mixed second-quarter results.
Charter's net loss widened to $96 million from $83 million in the second-quarter year-ago period. Revenue was up 4.7% to $1.97 billion.

It also lost 48,000 video customers, versus 66,000 for the same period a year ago. This was down 4% to land at an overall 3.917 million customers. Overall residential subscriber relationships -- cable, broadband, and phone -- rose by 5,000, compared with a year-ago loss of 17,000, now totaling 5.096 million.

But revenue grew among its video segment -- 8% to $984 million; with broadband revenue 11.8% higher to $520 million. Phone revs sank 27.2% to $158 million.

Charter added 40,000 broadband customers -- up from 29,000 or 7% to 3.924 million customers -- and 46,000 phone users, against 6,000 -- 10% higher to 2.019 million.

Charter, the fourth-biggest U.S. cable operator, had been rumored to be part of a potential merger with Cox Communications, the third-largest U.S. cable operator.

Liberty Media owns a 27.3% stake in the company. Previously, John Malone, chairman/chief executive officer of Liberty, has pushed for Charter to merge with another top cable operator, such as Time Warner Cable.

Charter’s stock was trading at $130.15, down 2.9%, during mid-day trading.