Prospective TBS investors put talks on hold.

Cable television operators negotiating to buy a 36% stake in Turner Broadcasting System Inc. for $576.4 million said they will wait to see if the Justice Department approves the proposed purchase before concluding their talks. The 28 potential investors met last week in Las Vegas. John C. Malone, president of Telecommunications Inc., the lead investor in the deal, said they will meet again once the Justice Department issue is settled.