Comcast Corporation and Charter Communications are actively working on a deal to let Comcast acquire Time Warner Cable subscribers in New York, New England, and North Carolina, according to sources reporting to CNBC.

The split-up of Time Warner Cable is contingent on a successful takeover bid by Charter Communications, which would quickly sell the systems in the three regions to Comcast for an undisclosed sum.

CNBC reports Comcast and Charter are close to agreeing on terms, but Time Warner Cable and Charter remain far apart on the terms of Charter’s takeover bid.

Comcast’s involvement in the deal could inject much-needed cash into a takeover bid financed largely by debt. It might also prompt Charter to sweeten its offer for TWC.

Comcast’s interest in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region is not surprising. The cable company already has a large presence in eastern Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, D.C., and Virginia. Time Warner Cable is the dominant cable company in New York, western and northern New England, and North Carolina.

Charter would likely keep Time Warner Cable’s operations in Texas, California, the midwest and south for itself if it succeeds in a takeover.

Charter has reportedly has hired Innisfree M&A, a proxy solicitor, to prepare for a possible proxy fight with Time Warner. Innisfree specializes in convincing shareholders to agree to proposed mergers and acquisitions.

Liberty Media, which has a substantial ownership interest in Charter Communications, is also appealing directly to Time Warner Cable stockholders and is planning to run its own slate of candidates for Time Warner Cable’s board of directors. Should Liberty-nominated candidates attract a majority of votes at the annual shareholder meeting in May, the new board members are expected to quickly approve a sale of the cable company.

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Comcast Corp. is near a deal to buy New York, North Carolina and New England cable assets from Charter Communications, Inc. if shareholders approve Charter’s takeover bid for Time Warner Cable Inc., people with knowledge of the matter said. Alex Sherman reports on Bloomberg Television’s “Money Moves.” (3:28)

Time Warner Cable customers looking for Al Jazeera America in New York are forgiven if they can’t find it. Time Warner Cable initially exiled the network to Channel Siberia — Channel 181 — between Univision Deportes and Shop Zeal, a shopping network that couldn’t draw flies.

But starting this week Time Warner has agreed to move the news network to Channel 57, evicting a Manhattan public access channel relocated elsewhere. Al Jazeera America’s new neighbor is HLN – home of Nancy Grace and a more irreverent light news lineup.

The contrast between HLN and Al Jazeera America could not be more clear. While HLN and other news channels spent hours covering last week’s arrest of pop star Justin Bieber, Al Jazeera America mentioned the arrest only in passing, noting the network is dedicated to hard news, increasingly hard to find on other cable news channels.

Al Jazeera America’s ratings are still a fraction of other news outlets on the cable dial, but the network is planning a promotional blitz to introduce itself and explain the difference in coverage.

Time Warner Cable currently carries the news channel on its cable lineup only in New York and Los Angeles, but subscribers nationwide can watch the channel on TWC’s TV Everywhere app – TWC TV, available for home computers, Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Roku, XBox 360 and Samsung Smart-TVs.

Bright House Networks is dropping analog service in April in favor of an all-digital lineup that will require customers in Central Florida to have set-top boxes or similar equipment to continue watching.

“Digital is here to stay,” said Bright House spokesman Don Forbes. “Analog is going the way of the dodo bird.”

In a letter being mailed to all affected customers, Bright House notes customers will need a cable box, digital adapter or CableCARD for every television connected to cable.

Bright House will supply each customer with two digital adapters and remote controls at no charge through 2014. But the cable company will bill customers for those devices starting next January.

Sets equipped with QAM tuners alone will not suffice for receiving the entire cable lineup.

Customers are urged to begin requesting any required equipment starting today — either at a Bright House retail store or call toll-free: 1-855-589-8582.

British supermarket giant Tesco is reportedly preparing to offer budget-priced fiber broadband service to shoppers, according to ISPreview, which discovered the offer on a hidden web page.

Customers will be offered unlimited use 38Mbps entry-level service for around $12.50 a month for the first six months, and $25 a month thereafter. A one time charge of $83 applies unless customers enroll in an 18-month contract. A fiber activation fee of $75 also applies. A wireless router is provided for free after a $8.25 shipping and handling fee.

Tesco frequent shopper Clubcard members will also earn points good for shopping discounts when subscribed to Tesco’s broadband service, which effectively further reduces its monthly cost.

Unfortunately, existing Tesco broadband and home phone customers will not be eligible for the fiber promotion.

“If you currently have both a broadband and a home phone service with us, unfortunately we currently cannot upgrade you to fiber. We’re working on this and plan to roll it out Spring/Summer 2014,” read a statement on its help and support website.

In contrast, Americans pay an average of $63 a month for 25/5Mbps usage-capped cable broadband, including equipment rentals and surcharges, where applicable.

Comcast is likely getting into the electricity business in Pennsylvania, offering customers a “quad play” bundle of Internet, telephone, television, and electricity service with discounts for one or more services.

Robert Powelson, chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission broke the news with an announcement that Comcast had teamed up with a retail electric supplier in the state with plans to roll out service as soon as late this year. NRG Energy spokesman Dave Knox acknowledged his company was “working with Comcast on a new initiative.” In order to expand their business, such a business may have employed services like those new and improved Business Cards.

The service will be offered as part of Pennsylvania’s competitive energy market, which allows residents to choose their electricity supplier. Under the plan, Comcast will effectively be a reseller — it won’t enter the power generation business directly. NRG Energy will handle the electricity supply, pick up Comcast as a super-sized bulk buyer, and extend the company volume discounts that would appeal to customers.

NRG owns Energy Plus, a retail supplier in Philadelphia that already specializes in bundling electrical supply with affinity programs that reward customers with cash and airline miles.

Nearly 40 percent of Pennsylvania residents have switched utility companies similar to ones featured on Smarterbusiness.co.uk, often for discounts, sign-up bonuses, or for renewable energy.

Many states offer residents and businesses a choice for their energy supplier.

The state of Texas is the largest deregulated power market in the country, where hundreds of suppliers compete in the retail energy market. Pennsylvania wants to attract suppliers that currently sell power in other states by shaking up the state’s electricity market. A state bill before the legislature would end “default service,” which automatically enrolls new customers with the incumbent provider. Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1121 would require residents to select a power company and give them $50 to complete enrollment. Customers who don’t make a choice will be put up for auction, with suppliers bidding for their business. The winning bidder gets the customer unless or until they choose a supplier themselves.

SB1121 could be a consumer’s nightmare, however, because non-consenting customers — many elderly — could wind up with a high-bidder that can immediately charge whatever it wants for service in the deregulated marketplace. The bill is opposed by the AARP, the Pennsylvania Office of the Consumer Advocate, the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project and many other consumer advocacy organizations that consider the measure unnecessary. In a recent AARP survey, almost 70% of 50+ residents — the ones most likely to be confused by changes in the electric marketplace — supported continuing with default electric plans.

There is growing interest in the power sector among technology companies, as evidenced by Google’s recent $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest, which produces intelligent home thermostats.