Date: 11th January 2001

FCC Likely To OK AOL-Warner Deal Today


Although wire services predicted throughout the day Wednesday that the FCC would finally approve the America Online-Time Warner merger, Commissioner Gloria Tristani remained a one-person roadblock, forcing her Democratic colleagues to address her concerns about AOL's instant-messaging services.

Tristani claims that certain waivers granted by the commission could be used as loopholes to allow AOL to sidestep requirements to open up its instant-messaging services to other operators.

Source: Studio Briefing