Time Warner Cable Inc. and privately-held Cox Communications have held early talks to swap cable systems in California and also broached the idea of a broader alliance, according to two people familiar with the talks, Reuters reported Monday.
The cable systems were valued around $2 billion, according to one of the people. After several months of discussions the talks slowed down in August, but they could return to the negotiating table in the near future, both people said.
The early-stage talks between Time Warner Cable and Cox, the second and third largest U.S. cable operators, were aimed at competing better against larger rival Comcast Corp, which is buying NBC Universal from General Electric.
