The name might be changing, but the service will stay the same.

That's the message to customers from cable provider Adelphia Communications Corporation now that it has been purchased jointly by Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Inc., the first and second largest cable companies in the nation respectively, in April.

Around 5,000 Lawrence County households receive their cable service through Adelphia, which declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the summer of 2002.

Adelphia provides cable services to approximately 5.2 million basic subscribers in 31 states. Time Warner and Comcast had to spend $12.7 billion in cash and 16 percent of the common stock of Time Warner's cable subsidiary to acquire the company.

Comcast and Time Warner have been dividing Adelphia's holdings, and Time Warner will be the company taking over Adelphia's cable service area in Lawrence County.

Mark Ganley, Adelphia's general manager of southeast Ohio and West Virginia, said that customers shouldn't expect much of a change in their cable service, at least, not at first.

"We expect the transition to be seamless," Ganley said.

"We don't expect any immediate or significant changes in terms of rates or line-up. I think it's safe to say Time Warner will continue to offer enhancements to the service, new products, going forward."

Ganley is a 25-year veteran of the cable industry who once worked for Time Warner, which he called a good experience.

The targeted date for the transfer to be complete is March 31, 2006, though that is an approximation at best. Once the merger is complete, Adelphia will cease to exist, and customers will be getting their cable, and other services such as high-speed Internet service from Time Warner.

Ganley said that in order for the switch to take place, Ironton City Council must determine if Time Warner has the ability to maintain Adelphia's service, but with Time Warner's considerable assets and experience, he didn't expect that to be a problem.

The Time Warner purchase may also mean an increase in services. For example, Ganley said he anticipated the company to begin offering telephone service in the not-too-distant future.