Bankruptcy Judge Robert D. Drain has issued a temporary restraining order against Charter Communications and its subsidiary Spectrum, saying the cable giant can not use scare tactics to woo customers of Windstream, which filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in late February, the Lexington (Ky.) Herald Leader reported. Judge Drain issued the order on Tuesday to stop the company from targeting Windstream customers in several states, including Kentucky, with advertisements that imply Windstream will go out of business. The advertisements sent by Charter include the phrases “Windstream’s future is unknown, but Spectrum is here to stay” and “Windstream customers, don’t risk losing your TV and internet service.” Lawyers for Windstream said the company’s chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York did not mean the company will go out of business. “Despite this reality, Charter commenced a scare-tactic campaign to mislead, deceive and confuse consumers,” Windstream’s lawyers argued in court documents. “Charter disseminated false advertisements directly targeting Windstream’s strongest customer base in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Nebraska and North Carolina.”
