Idaho customers will send payments to Time Warner

Adelphia Communications cable-TV subscribers in Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene and Moscow, Idaho, will see the company name on their bills change to Time Warner Cable within a year.

A New York bankruptcy court judge Thursday approved the sale of Adelphia’s cable systems to competitors Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Inc.

An Adelphia spokesperson said the transfer of the two Idaho cable franchises to Time Warner will take nine to 12 months. The Post Falls-Coeur d’Alene operation is one franchise.

“During that time, Adelphia will continue to improve service and technology to our customers,” said Erica Stull, who works at Adelphia’s Greenwood Village, Colo., headquarters.

Under the purchase plan, Adelphia’s approximately 5.3 million cable subscribers will be divided between Comcast and Time Warner. New York-based Time Warner will gain 3.5 million subscribers.

Comcast, which operates Spokane’s cable franchise, will get the other 1.8 million nationwide customers. The only Washington franchise from Adelphia going to Comcast is in Longview.