Jean McPherson, director of marketing at Flow, said the telecommunications firm was satisfied with the outcome and pleased to have reached an agreement with the commission.

"Now that the matter is out of the courts, our immediate priority is to ensure that our customers understand the implications of this new development," she said.

McPherson said former ESL customers would have the option to continue to receive the same service offered by the former ESL under their existing terms and rates for a minimum period of three months.

Under an agreement with the Broadcasting Commission, all former ESL customers are entitled to three months of television service on the exact terms and at the same prices they previously paid.

All existing ESL discounts and cable-box prices must also remain unchanged until the end of July.

These are among a number of requirements imposed by the commission as a condition of its approval of the acquisition by Flow of the assets of ESL.

period of unchanged service

A further period of three months of unchanged service must be allowed to those ESL customers in zones temporarily without a choice of cable providers.

The zones affected are August Town, Hope Pastures, Mona, Beverly Hills and Hope Tavern. For those customers, this arrangement will continue until the end of September 2008.

If former ESL customers decide at any time to sign on to a Flow package, they must receive all the benefits of the package without any penalty.

However, under a court-approved agreement with the Broadcasting Commission, Flow will not purchase the assets of any cable operator without the prior approval of the commission in keeping with the stipulations of Regulation 28.

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