Shareowners' Deficit

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Shareowners' Deficit [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

Shareowners’ Deficit

Common Shares

The par value of the Company’s common shares is $0.01 per share. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, common shares outstanding were 209,296,068 and 208,165,275, respectively.

In 2010, the Board of Directors approved a plan for repurchase of up to $150.0 million of the Company's common shares. In 2014 and 2013, no shares were repurchased or retired under this plan. In 2012, no shares were repurchased under this plan and the Company retired 0.1 million shares of common stock. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had the authority to repurchase $129.2 million of its common stock.

At December 31, 2014, treasury shares of common stock held under certain management deferred compensation arrangements were 0.3 million, with a total cost of $1.1 million. At December 31, 2013, treasury shares of common stock held under certain management deferred compensation arrangements were 0.5 million, with a total cost of $2.0 million.

Preferred Shares

The Company is authorized to issue 1,357,299 shares of voting preferred stock without par value and 1,000,000 shares of nonvoting preferred stock without par value. The Company issued 155,250 voting shares of 6 ³/₄% cumulative convertible preferred stock at stated value. These shares were subsequently deposited into a trust in which the underlying 155,250 shares are equivalent to 3,105,000 depositary shares. Shares of this preferred stock can be converted at any time at the option of the holder into common stock of the Company at a conversion rate of 1.44 shares of the Company common stock per depositary share of 6 ³/₄% convertible preferred stock. Annual dividends of $67.50 per share (or $3.3752 per depositary share) on the outstanding 6 ³/₄% convertible preferred stock are payable quarterly in arrears in cash, or in common stock in certain circumstances if cash payment is not legally permitted. The liquidation preference on the 6 ³/₄% preferred stock is $1,000 per share (or $50 per depositary share). The Company paid $10.4 million in preferred stock dividends in 2014, 2013, and 2012.

Warrants

In March 2003, the Company entered into a series of recapitalization transactions which included the issuance of 17.5 million warrants that expired on March 26, 2013. Each warrant allowed the holder to purchase one share of Cincinnati Bell common stock at an exercise price of $3.00 each. During the first quarter of 2013, warrant holders elected to exercise a total of 14.3 million warrants. As a result, the Company issued a total of 4.4 million shares of common stock and received $5.1 million of cash proceeds for the 1.7 million of such warrants which were cash settled. During 2012, warrant holders elected to exercise a total of 3.2 million warrants, primarily on a cashless basis, and received a total of 1.5 million shares of common stock. Cash proceeds received upon exercise were $0.1 million. There were no warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Shareowners’ deficit includes an accumulated other comprehensive loss that is comprised of pension and postretirement unrecognized prior service cost and unrecognized actuarial losses, and foreign currency translation losses.

For the year ended December 31, 2014, the changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss by component were as follows:

(dollars in millions)	Unrecognized Net Periodic Pension and Postretirement Benefit Cost				Foreign Currency Translation Loss			Total
Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	(133.1	)		$	(0.2	)	$	(133.3	)
Foreign currency loss	—				(0.1		)	(0.1		)
Remeasurement of benefit obligations	(45.4		)		—			(45.4		)
Reclassifications, net	4.9			(a)	—			4.9
Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	(173.6	)		$	(0.3	)	$	(173.9	)

(a) These reclassifications are included in the components of net period pension and postretirement benefit costs (see Note 11 for additional details). The components of net period pension and postretirement benefit cost are reported within "Cost of services", "Cost of products sold", and "Selling, general and administrative" expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.