Keith Poston, the former public face for Progress Energy before leaving for a PR job in Atlanta in 2006, is back in town working for a new boss: Time Warner Cable.

Poston started with Time Warner on Friday as director of public affairs. He will be the cable company's spokesman for its Triangle operations and will also handle philanthropic initiatives and employee communications.

Time Warner, the Triangle's cable TV service provider, employs more than 4,800 people in the state, including more than 1,000 in the Triangle.

Poston previously worked as managing director for corporate communications at AGL Resources, a natural gas utility in Atlanta. AGL recruited Poston away from his job at Progress and then laid him off last April during a corporate restructuring.

From his utility background, Poston is well-versed at handling public relations issues that vex cable TV companies: rates, service quality and customer service.