Reuters: Bright House Networks, the sixth largest U.S. cable operator, is said to be preparing to abandon a $10.4 billion deal to be acquired by larger peer Charter Communications. Charter, the No. 4 U.S. cable operator, clinched the deal with Bright House in March contingent on completion of Comcast’s $45.2 billion merger with Time Warner Cable. Comcast walked away from the Time Warner Cable deal last month because of antitrust hurdles.