Charter Communications, which is backed by Malone’s Liberty Media, then acquired Time Warner Cable to become the nation’s third-largest pay-TV company and the largest TV provider in Los Angeles. The talks come amid dramatic changes in consumer behavior that have rattled the cable television industry. That imbalance has put the squeeze on programmers, such as Discovery and Scripps, which also are experiencing ratings declines. Discovery and Scripps were involved in merger talks three years ago, but those collapsed over price and an unwillingness of the family behind Scripps to sell. That's why several analysts remained skeptical that a merger between Discovery and Scripps would occur.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 20, 2017 09:56 UTC