According to reports, it is America Online, not Time Warner, that is pushing for the change. An internal memo has been sent to staff at America Online by chief executive Jonathan Miller, saying that AOL had become shorthand for describing AOL Time Warner in the media and that the association had damaged the America Online brand.
"Any controversy or criticism involving the corporate entity has actually hit our consumer brand. I believe it's time to get our brand back," Miller said in the memo.
However, the move is unlikely to upset Time Warner executives, who have been pushing for a change for some time. When America Online merged with Time Warner in 2000, the deal was heralded as leading the way for convergence between new and old media.
Since then, and the fall of the dotcoms, Time Warner has proven to be the dominant part of the business, while AOL has seen subscriber numbers drop and questions raised about the way it booked advertising revenue. The company is now being investigated over its results, and faces lawsuits from investors claiming that they have been mislead by the board.
Mia Carbonell, a spokeswoman for AOL Time Warner, has confirmed the move. "[Chairman] Dick Parsons and senior management are considering a name change as a result of the America Online request," she said.
Reports say that the board is due to meet in late September and could make a decision on the name then.
The request of a name change by America Online executives will be seen as ironic, because it is the internet unit that has been the source of the company's problems.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
