LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: The wooing of Time Warner Cable continues this week, with Charter Communications expected to take another shot at a merger bid.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: But as NPR's Nathan Rott reports, no deal is expected to be struck anytime soon.</s>NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE: Charter Communications and its backer, Liberty Media Corporation, must be hoping that the third time's the charm.</s>NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE: 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.</s>JEFF KAGAN: The word is that Time Warner wants to be acquired.</s>NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE: 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.</s>JEFF 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.</s>NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE: So, as the cable companies say, stay tuned.</s>NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE: Nathan Rott, NPR News.
Charter Communications Inc. is expected to announce a new merger offer for Time Warner Cable Co. this week. It will be the company's third such offer. Industry analysts don't expect this one to work any better.