Goodbye Time Warner, hello Charter, or rather, hello Spectrum.

Charter Communications has completed its acquisition of Time Warner, including getting required FCC approval. Charter will provide local cable TV, phone and internet services regionally under the brand name Spectrum. The $78 billion takeover had been in the making for about a year.

So what differences can consumers expect? For now, that is anyone’s guess. Bowling Green City Manager Kevin DeFebbo said as a result of the acquisition the city hopes that it can get its cable access Channel 4 broadcast in high definition.

In response to a request to interview a spokesperson, Charter issued a statement:

“Customers of … Time Warner Cable won’t see any immediate changes. For the coming months, Time Warner Cable … and Charter Spectrum will continue offering their current suite of advanced products and services to customers in their markets . … Just as was done at current Charter, we will begin doing the necessary work to bring all of TWC … systems all-digital, grow the workforce and improve care by insourcing and bringing back to the U.S. oversees TWC call center jobs, and launching our Spectrum brand with a superior product set, at highly competitive prices, and consumer and broadband friendly policies such minimum speeds of 60 Mbps with no data caps, no usage based pricing and no modem lease fees,” the statement read.

“As we go all digital market by market, we will launch the Spectrum brand product, pricing and packaging. In the coming months Charter will also launch Spectrum in those markets in which (TWC has) already gone all digital. We will be communicating directly with customers letting them know when they will start seeing the Spectrum brand, new product enhancements and new packages. We believe customers will see our packages as more compelling and a better value, however, if a TWC or BHN customer likes the package they are currently in, they will be able to stay in that package.”

Bowling Green City Attorney Gene Harmon said the city will begin negotiating a new franchise agreement with Charter in the next few weeks. The Time Warner agreement runs through the end of the year.

“Nothing can change until then,” Harmon said, meaning Charter must abide by the Time Warner agreement in place, which includes providing the city’s Channel 4. The city agreement will also cover all of Warren County.

DeFebbo said the city “will probably want to explore the possibility” of converting that venue for city-related programming to a high-definition channel, “for our interest and the public’s interest.”

As for rates, the city is “pre-empted by federal law” from deciding on the cost of services, other than some input on the costs for the most basic level of services, Harmon said.

Time Warner was routinely rated among the lowest in customer satisfaction among consumers, but Charter has not fared much better. A 2015 Consumer Reports analysis found “Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Charter are among the bottom dwellers in overall customer satisfaction for TV service.”

— Follow city government reporter Wes Swietek on Twitter @BGDNgovtbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.