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Fresh Merger Talks Involving Time Warner Expected To Begin

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

The wooing of Time Warner Cable continues this week, with Charter Communications expected to take another shot at a merger bid.

But as NPR's Nathan Rott reports, no deal is expected to be struck anytime soon.

NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE: Charter Communications and its backer, Liberty Media Corporation, must be hoping that the third time's the charm.

This will be Connecticut-based Charter's third merger proposal to Time Warner since late last spring. But that's not to say that a deal won't happen. Jeff Kagan is an independent industry analyst.

JEFF KAGAN: The word is that Time Warner wants to be acquired.

ROTT: Though, he says nobody has said so officially. He does thinks that if Charter goes through with the expected proposal, which would offer less than $135 a share and stock, it could start a bidding war with other companies like Comcast and Cox jumping in.

KAGAN: This is going to be a fireworks event. We're going to have an interesting show to watch. And what it's going to look like when the dust settles is the question. I don't have an answer to that. I don't know anyone who has an answer to that.

ROTT: So, as the cable companies say, stay tuned.

Nathan Rott, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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Nathan Rott is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk, where he focuses on environment issues and the American West.