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What do you think about the merger between AOL and Time Warner? What effect, if any, will the merger have on the entertainment industry, the media and/or on you, the consumer?

Click here to retun to the Reader's Speak Out homepage.

I can't see where it will have any effect other than making a lot of money for both AOL and Time Warner.

Kendra Cunningham
Spokane, WA, Spokane

I think that AOL will feature more annoying pop-ups and tidbits about Time Warner films, etc. I think that AOL will gather demographic information from its users in order to enhance Time Warner's commercial success - which makes the customers like guinea pigs.

J Balconi
Warren, MI, USA

Mergers of conglomerates is almost always detrimental to the consumer. It means fewer jobs, higher prices, and sometimes lower quality of merchandise. It can mean a definite bias within the industry.

Joyce Clark
Fairbanks, AK, USA

Scary! It's like the merger of the book publishers. Soon there may only be ONE!!

Forbes George
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

I am not a fan of AOL, so I do not appreciate it getting even larger. I think there will be an effect on the consumer, if AOL uses the Time-Warner database to gobble up DSL info and raise our prices.

Sharon Sparks
Marina del Rey, CA, us

Can it have a good effect? Is biggest ever better. Has the end user ever failed to get it in the ear? Are we not already paying for water?

Alan Jackson
Toronto, ON, Canada

I think that the merger between AOL and Time Warner will temporarily inhibit the free flow of news and entertainment, thus limiting consumers' freedom to choose their media sources. Similarly, it will temporarily inhibit the development of new entertainment, just as the book publishing mergers seems to have inhibit many mid-list writers. *Temporarily* is the key word because entrepreneurs such as Hearst, Turner, Lucas, and Spielberg have stepped in to develop their own news and entertainment empires. Just as books and magazines have developed niche markets, smaller movie and television producers will likely target their work demographically and out-maneuver the giants.

Loren Gruber
Marshall, MO, USA

Perhaps the Kibbles at AOL and the Bits at Time Warner will combine to finally provide low-fat, budget-conscious cuisine for my pit bull. If he likes it, my life will be bliss. If he doesn't it, I might not survive to give a rats.

Tammy Moon
Smithville, TN, USA

Any huge merger, that comes close to grabbing most of the market, must have a negative impact. The bigger, the more power, the less the smaller entities can do. - no one person/company/entity should have that much power.

Donna Pearce
Coochiemudlo Island, Ql, Australia

As the bandwidth increases on the Net, that is, the ability/capacity to deliver quickly to peoples home PC'S, there will be a mad rush for content. This merger positions these companies (AOL & TW) to capitilize on this int he coming years. I think this will be similar to the Cable industry, back when they took on network TV, and we the consumer benefit through increased choice.

S Monaco
Berk Hts, nj, USA

Wish I had bought AOL stock ;)

Lynne Remick
Nesconset , NY, USA

Somehow I get the strange feeling that My AOL Monthly Rat is going to go up

Lisa Pantano
Clifton, NJ, USA

The entire world will be run by one gigantic company if this trend continues.

Solandia Nyxen
Brisbane, Q, Australia

History repeating itself? Big Brother? Socialism? Our is it just the good American way---if you can do it, JUST DO IT. I suggest a good read: "The Victorian Internet : The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-line Pioneers" by Tom Standage

Shanna Eilers
Kirkland, WA, usa

From an Australian perspective it won't effect me directly, however it will be interesting to watch it from afar and hopefully we can learn from the experience.

Carolyn Scott
Glen Waverley, Vi, Australia

Monopoly is a word that comes to mind. When CNN merged with Time Warner, they lost their independent perspective on the news. I do not see any distinction between them and the other ordinary mainstream news/info agencies. The public is the looser of indepth, unbiased thought provoking critical reporting.

Jahaan Martin
Albuquerque, NM, USA

Broadband is the wave of the future. This merger is just the first baby step toward a communications future we can only dimly imagine.

Eunice K. Riemer
Los Alamos, NM, USA

It's time to stop thinking that mega-mergers bring benefits to the public. They stifle competition, reduce opportunities, and pay for their gluttony by "downsizing" unfortunate personnel. What ever happened to the Anti-Trust Laws? AOL will become like Bill Gates: villified and ridiculed. And, in all this, we the consumers will suffer from increased pricing, reduced choices, and domineering market forces.

Donald Hier
Mendham, NJ, USA

i think that for the stock holders this is a great thing, for the average joe it could go either way; this merger could mean bigger and better movie, music, and television productions with unprecedented online companion sites, or it could mean that some fatcat gets fatter.

Jason Frye
Peach Creek, WV, united states

Biggest isn't always the best. Sometimes in an industries very bigness they forget how to intimate. Large industries can forget who and how to serve and even what their original purpose was in forming this industry. I hope entertainment isn't just about dollars.

Sandra Oliver-Jobling
East Geelong, Vi, Australia

As with any merger between company giants, I feel that it can benefit the consumers by allowing for lower subscription prices for both AOL and Time Warner. They will have consolidated their clientel. I think that AOL and Time Warner will benefit from their ability to advertise each other, ie online, AOL will advertise Time Warner with banners and such, and on cable networks, Time Warner will advertise AOL.

Madonna PremDas-Auffant
Palenville, NY, USA

Journalist Leslie Stahl recently accused ex-Russian leader Yeltzin of presiding over a system where a few businesses own everything. How different are we? I think this merger will create many more hip, high tech outlets for the same old celebrity fluff and corporate hype. It'll all seem usefel and fun, but it's really boring and unhealthy.

Nadine Witkin
New York, NY, USA

I think this is one of the many unlikely mergers that are yet to come. Diversity is the name of the game in business. It will be very interesting to watch and see what happens. As far as the effect it will have I don't think there will be too much of it, if there is any at all.

Rebecca Foster
Highland, IL, USA

I believe that while free-enterprize should have its chance, merges such as the AOL-Time Warner merge could lead to a monopoly should we not keep a watchful eye on their activity. I have had e-mail warnings that soon there would be a per minute charge for internet usage in addition to ISP fees because the postal service was suffering losses due to e-mail activity. I do believe that we need to keep tabs on the growth of such actions, even if this is rumor based. Large companies may be able to provide more services and, because of funds, provide them at less cost. But, if they become "the only telephone company in town", they will take advantage of the situation.

Dianna Bartosh
Cuero, TX, USA

I think it will be to the benefit of internet users

Ephraim Glaser
Haifa, I, Israel

Soon, you and I will be able to watch whatever movies we want, when we want. If I decide to watch Gone with the Wind starting at 1:53 a.m., I will be able to do so without consulting a viewing guide or visiting a VHS rental service. Through the Internet each of us will be able to fashion ourselves as we wish, totally free of others. The merger of AOL and Time Warner might be a step in that direction. At least the union of this large companies makes it possible for AOL, with it web savvy crowd numbering in the millions, to package on powerful interactive websites Time-Warner's enourmous collection of music and movies. With cable broadband and DSL becoming more commonplace, downloading movies over the web is getting easier. Wearable computers with retina painters built into a pair of glasses, instead of using the bulky computer screens and television, combined with satelite access to the web will make watching any type of media easy no matter where we are. This merger adds to the promise and excitement that comes with being alive in today's high tech world. I applaud the marriage, and wish I could be the best man.

James Lewis
Cambridge, MA, US

Who can say for sure... but it will be fascinating to discover how this transmogrifies in the year or so to come.

V. Chan
Gibsons, bc, canada

It's a great day! It marks the coming of age of the Internet and will impact greatly on television, making the latter a truly intercative experience. I'm looking forward to the entertainment revolution!

Chris Brunette
Tygervalley, WP, South Africa

I think the merger will reduce the opportunities for artists to have their work published, simply because two avenues of opportunity have become one. As a consumer, I expect the price of Time Warner products to rise, with quality decreasing. I also expect more restrictions on the material and availability of products and services.

Shalryn Morrison
Lumby, BC, Canada

Could provide a faster development of I.T. related products but job losses and monopoly status spring to mind. Will not affect me directly, but indirectly I'm sure it will, one way or another.

Steve Holden
Manchester, UK

I often wonder the rhetoric that will be used to explain in history books someday how we became one giant country of total miscommunication with no independent subsidaries standing a chance for survival. AOL to me = America Once Lived. It is sad to watch how big brother keeps getting stronger.

Vivian Dimmel
Liverpool, NY, United States

I think more people working together usually means making more progress. Hopefully this will be for the good of all of us.

Becky Johnson
Nashville, MI, USA

In my opinion, the effect it will have is to stifle the truth in news stories as has been true in so many other recent mergers.

Susan Maier
Chesapeake Beach, MD, USA

The most important aspect of this merger in my opinion is the possibility it opens up for cable modem connections for AOL users. I hope they work out a way to offer this incredibly fast service to people currently outside the Time Warner network. Knowing AOL, it won't be long before they do just that.

Lorre Fritchy
Newburyport, MA, USA

Since I live in a rural area, I have two reactions. AOL is out of the question for me since I would have to pay long distance charges for my extensive online time. However, this kind of merger could have some implications in the future for rural people in terms of access to media and communications in general. Maybe I'm getting old but I fear these conglomerates are just getting too big. Some days I want to shout "Stop the world, I want to get off!"

Barbara Mitchell
Hallstead, PA, USA

I think it's exciting. E-commerce grows in legitimacy.

Jack Trammell
Bumpass, VA, USA

I dislike AOL, and I am discouraged by its fat wallet and brazen attitude. I turn all those (hundreds) of AOL CDs into coasters.

James Gifford
Kettering, OH, USA

I know nothing about AOL at all. I never even knew they merged with anyone! Sorry!

Jennifer Figueroa
Beaver Falls, PA, USA

I think this is another instance of cornering the marketplace and eliminating competition.

Roy Meyer
Williamsport, PA, USA

Any merger of this magnitude would be captivating. This particular marriage should offer unlimited writing opportunities for professionals who practice their craft in every media.

Karen Gillenwater
Wichita, KS, USA

It's too soon to tell the long term effects and frankly, when 2 large companies merge like this, I think they get too big for their britches. I am hopeful, however, that instead of continuing to increase prices for their services, they will lower them to allow more consumers affordable access to beneficial information. We shall see.

Debbie Upp
Apopka, FL, USA

More power to them. At least I think that's what they're hoping. As we move into the information technology age more and more traditional companies are going to make shifts which keep them in business. This is just one of those marriages between tradition and the future that we're going to see more of.

Mary Miller
Lakeland, MN, USA

The merger makes a huge statement about the secure positioning of the Internet among established mediums (print and television) in the entertainment and news industry. The Internet has matured; it has reached adolescence and has gained acceptance as a viable source of entertainment and news information. This merger shows it has earned an even greater amount of respect and positions it as an equal peer of traditional media sources.

Megan Hjermstad
New York, NY, USA

Too big - like trying to turn the QEII around in a small harbor; you can do it but it's slow and not responsive to fast changes

Anne Tomlin
Auburn, NY, USA

I am afraid that with so much of the news media (Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, CNN - just to name three of the major ones) controlled by one giant corporation, there will be very little room left for independent and unbiased reporting. These two giant corporations could well suppress any small revelation of injustice that might threaten the image of any of their many holdings.

Eva Cahen
Winnetka, Il,

I'm a bit nervous to be honest...afraid of a "blanding" of the industry. The "Indies" already have a difficult time, and this sort of thing can make it damn near impossible for small publishers/producers/newspapers/etc to gain a toehol.!

Carolie Bartol
Lynn, NC, USA

While I am concerned about any mega-large companies merging, I think this merger might prove interesting. I am interested to see what they can do with it - how far they can think outside the box.

Erin Smith
Dallas, TX, USA

I believe it is a great opportunity to expand on the never ending resources that could be available to all those who research and keeping informed of current events.

Scott McGovney
Barrington, RI, United States

The merger will eventually bring new jobs to the Northern Virginia area and boost the already growing economy especially in the area of Tyson's Corner. I look forward to watching the developments in the entertainment industry over the next 10 years that will come as a direct result of this merger.

Charles Wood
Centreville, VA, USA

I think consumers will benefit from having a more powerful and useful AOL. There's been speculation that this merger would bring about biased reporting. I think the companies are way to big for that to be much of a worry. The reporters are going to do their jobs as they always have.

Sherri Mostaghni
Albuquerque, NM, USA

They'll figure out a way to have a monopoly without calling it that, and it will end up costing the consumer more for cable and other services.

Mary Glines
Winter Park, FL, usa

i think the merger is indicative of the direction that the new millenium is ushering in.more and more companies are are embracing technology and the means it provides to reach a wider demographic market.i believe this is the first of many other future mergers to come;or- simply put the wave of the future.

Mary Hottinger
Ventura, CA, usa

Mergers can be good and they can be bad. As large as AOL & Time Warner are, I don't see how it could possibly have a good outcome. I forecast increased prices and decreased quality.

Connie Childers
Indianapolis, IN, USA

I fear that too much consolidation leads to too little choice; for instance, in the publishing industry, I believe that more mergers will make the market harder for new writers to enter and will limit choice for readers.

Gina Evans
Florence, SC, USA

Makes people more suspicious of the news and information they receive - everyone is owned by someone.

Karen Ford
Jacksonville, FL, USA

The merger between AOL and Time Warner is wonderful. Now all aspects of entertainment and news are combined on the two most important parts of people's lives. This will unite everybody, everywhere more closely....

Yvette Babb
Mead, WA, USA

Since I don't have aol, the merge won't have much effect on me as an individual. On the other hand, I think it may have a significant effect on the entertainment media by changing the way many people communicate online.

Shannon Lester
St. Louis, MO, USA

I think the merger could be a good thing. Things are changing constantly and the merger will probably have the good and the bad, but I don't think there should be any major effects or disadvantages.

Louise Matheson
Halifax, NS, Canada

i think it will make more services availabe to users of the Internet. at first, it might cost more but i think eventually, it will become more affordable for all of us.

Linda Rimmer
Edmundston, Canada

Personally I don't follow all the gossip about the media outlooks. I'm not hooked up with either of the companies presently. I do know that since the popular trend of getting connected has come into action, everyone around me have been going all out to become "cool" with all the new and improved tech that is always coming out. I think the companies that offer internet services play a very important role in the consumers' lives. I just hope that they understand the great power they had been given and respect it.

Julie Maki
Wawa, , Canada

Sounds like someone wants to monopolize TV and Internet. I also think the bigger you get the less your product becomes, works, etc. I have been having trouble with AOL as it is, what will it be like when it becomes ever larger.

Ida Temple
Pico Rivera, CA, USA

It's awesome. Only time will tell. Hopefully it will make it more efficient.

Eileen Kelley
baltimore, MD, USA

I don't think the merger between AOL and Time Warner will have a big impact on the entertainment industry,the media, or me. It's only big bucks for them!

Jenn Maschi
East Hartford, CT, USA

I have a negative opinion of it.

Jacobson Jessica
Arlington, VA, USA

I think it it great, may help on internet, but my concern is in stock; so I hope the merger will just help my stock to rise.

Peggie Reinhardt
Lucasville, Oh, USA

It is quite amazing really to see the old and new blend in such a powerful way.

Brenda Dubin
Flushing, NY, USA

In the publishing industry, mergers are now commonplace... the effect is that fewer people are deciding which books get published. However, this could be good -- it could allow for smaller presses to have a larger pool of talented writers to choose from.

Carol Bosco Baumann
Housatonic, MA, USA

This conglomeration of "Corporations" is whacky .. it's squeezing too many people and jobs away.

Joe Dimino
Kansas City, MO, USA

I don't much much about AOL because I don't use it. Is Time Warner the same as Warner Bros? :)

Duaa Anwar
Dubai, no, United Arab Emirates

As if i don't have enough ads-interruptus on AOL now...just wait...

Stanice Anderson
Washington, DC, USA

AOL/TimeWarner merger seems the standard trade-off of short term benies for us (the vast-unwashed-onliners) with the promise of high speed connections etc., BUT for the long maul, er, haul, there is the drawback of cyberspace, our latest frontier, parceled out to fewer & fewer muckety-mucks controlling our so-called choices, meaning less freedom for us... Meanwhile, it may be a case of big cheeses who keeping our mice tied, no? "Impressive" and "oppressive" ARE just an 'im-op,' skip, and a jump apart.

Marilee Smith
Denver, CO, USA

This merger just means bigger profits for the FAT CATS and that consumers need to influence how the FCs spend their profits. A good FC will take a large portion of his earnings and invest in the worst school in the country and use his profits to raise of another army of smart FC's and they, in turn, would do likewise so that the bad press we get about the dumbing down of our nation's children would be no more. Future generations would be a nation of smart Fat Cat do-gooders.

Sylvia Syms
Altadena, CA, USA

Any merger between two large industries will have an outstanding impact on everyone. AOL and Time warner both influence millions of people every day. Hopefuly, together that will have a broader reach. Ofcourse, it is up to the consumer to make wise purchases and to "cut through the hype."

Lynn Crolley
Centenary, SC, usa

Over-all I think the merger will have little effect on me personally, it will however, in the short-term upset the market. For the long-haul, no major effect.

David Downer
Verndale, MN, United States

One Internet monolith plus one entertainment monolith equals a new Intertainment mega-monolith. We'll be surfing the web while we watch the movies!

Suzanne Pitner
Suisun City, CA, USA

No effect on me but don't like the merger idea (just too big!)

Rosemarie Maziar
Glendora, CA, USA

It's rather scary--soon all the small companies will be gobbled up by larger ones, that will merge to form one or two massive conglomerates.

Nancy Furstinger
Margaretville, NY, USA

I'm not sure. I think AOL is highly overrated, but hopefully the merger will make the online service more appealing to former subscribers, like myself.

Jodie Tweed
Pequot Lakes, MN, United States

Great things always come from TimeWarner. I see the merger as potentially broadening AOl's offerings in entertainment media--like surfing the net as I watch TV. There's also talk about better connections to the Internet using cable lines and modems. Sounds good to me.

Desire Hendricks
Los Angeles, CA, USA

I am not sure I like it. So many of our companies are merging creating giants that may or may not be beneficial to the consumer. I think the bottom line is not for the good of the consumer but the profit margin. I also think merging of large companies is very close to monopolies. I don't like it.

Cindy Oldham
Kissimmee, FL, U.S.A.

Bigger is better

Patrick Burke
Cork, na, Ireland

I believe the merger between AOL and Time Warner is an excellent alliance. It will open up more avenues for information to be distributed to a broader base of customers. We will no longer see entertainment, media, and the Internet as separate mediums. "One stop, one shop," will be the driving motto in this market.

Derika Hatcher
Austin, TX, USA

I'm not convinced that it really will effect anything majorly.

Nix Darkholme
Burleson, TX, USA

I think our choices will become more limited instead of more expanded because of the goals of time/Warner

Pat Linback
Walkerton, IN, USA

Scary

Alicia Griswold
Atlanta, GA, USA

Access to more information and a complete intermeshing of media, entertainment and the internet

Richard Manlove
Vernon, Tx, USA

Web TV was only the beginning. Each side of this merger equation brings a different piece of the communication puzzel to the table. If TV were as interactive as the web and the internet was as user friendly (and as easily accessable as TV-read speed here) the possibilities are mind boggling. I think the telephone companies, cine-plexes and other forms of controlled communication had best take this merger as a warning sign.

Steve Carr
High Point, NC, USA

I think Ted Turner is trying to monopolize too much.

Sean Straney
Inglewood, CA, USA

The rich keep getting richer.

Marsha Honore-Jones
Silver Spring, MD, USA

I personally think that the merger will revolutionize the industry with regard to transmission and signal. I wonder about the implications with regards to monopolizing the industry; considering the fact that cable tv was changed so much in the last decade as far as pricing and other issues.

Aimee Sandstrom
Madison, NH, united states

Taking a "watch and see" posture. Being a large organizaion, it has the potential of good and bad--good if it means lower prices for the consumer; but it can mean that "overhead" is cut by reducing overall staff and combining job responsibilities. In time, if a monopoly in an industry (combined industries) takes place, more detrimental things can take place--price controls and offerings. A question exists in my mind whether the line between entertainment and practical tool will encourage the use of tools only for entertainment....I may find myself asking if "serious journalism," whether reporting news or comentation on recent or past history will only appear if it has "entertainment" value.

Wanda Smith-Goshorn
APO, AE, USA

Frankly, I am getting sick of mega-mergers every time I check the news. I have tried, rather successfully, to avoid both Time Warner and AOL. With their combined might, future acquisitions may make that an impossible task. And the Justice Department is worried about Microsoft?

Judy Bouchard
Nokomis, FL, USA

More crossover of entertainment between the medias.

Kathy Waters
White Lake, MI, USA

I think we will see more of the traditionally tv media being served up on the web while tv and other news services grow to support more interactivity. Other tradition media companies will be forced to find ways to introduce more online content to balance themselves and stay in business competing with the AOL Time Warner.

Maura Sandalfoot
Coatesville, Pa, USA

Big companies, Big money, Bigger choice, Lower prices?

Robert Fisher
Dumfries, Scotland

Mixed feelings, short term may provide positives, long term may prove detrimental to small local operations. Big brother is not always in possession of the right solution, lack of viable alternatives could easily impede the flow of creativity.

Wayne Turner
Lwr Sackville, NS, Canada

Very difficult to tell with all the new coming into technology...time will tell best if merger is a definite improvement

Deb Lockstein
Tillsonburg, On, Canada

To much power can lead to monopoly and this is not good for public or private sector . . .

Judy Martin
Fessenden, ND, USA

Well, currently we subscribe to Road Runner Online, and Time Warner Cable. I'm hoping that Road Runner will become cheaper.

Keisha Butler
Kansas City, MO, USA

Good for them! They will likely have more space to advertise all their stuff and narrow their content to their own industry(s) stuff.

Writer Martin
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

I'm not at all happy with AOL for many reasons, and the fact that they are merging with one of the giants in the entertainment field leads me to wonder: What were they thinking?

Samalantha Henchey
Westminster, MA, USA

I am not sure what it all means financially...but my opinions about these two companies are very low. First of all, people who use AOL and only AOL tend not to KNOW what the Internet is. As for Time Warner (my cable provider)...they can't seem to provide consistent quality service. It seems even when the weather is good that we have problems with our service! I don't want two companies who can not provide CONSISTENT reliable service seperately, trying to provide my Internet service. I rely heavily on it for work and personal use. I also feel it would be a way for AOL to just bombard you with more advertising and information that you don't request. If I ever do get to the point where I want cable Internet access I want to be able to chose the provider that best suits my needs.

Joy Hamilton
RTP, NC, USA

I believe it is very scary. Seeing how AOL censors it's persons e-mail, I just wonder if the censoring will extend to Time Warner.

Jeff Gesser
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

It is merely a natural progression of the intigration of all media sources into one. It has long been proposed that all forms of communication, i.e. phone, TV, internet, will be combined and sent over one line. As one example, this will allow movie studios to release first run movies over the communication lines, saving them the cost of distributing reels of film.

Gary Haven
Del Rey Oaks, CA, USA

Big Business, Big Money. Closing out the small fry.

Lauren Lynch
Quincy, MA, U.S.A.

I think the merger between AOL & Time warner will be good for the economy & subscribers. They will produce better quality & service to all customers.

Edmund Clarke
New York, NY, USA

Not good, they're too big

Michael Hora
Aurora, CO, USA

Hopefully it will improve the service of AOL

Eileen Kelley
baltimore, MD, USA

The Effect on Marketing and Entertainment Industry by merging will make an enormous impact wthin the next 10 years. It will create books that can be accessed through the Internet, that would be free to view the whole book(s) A Way to make technology more advanced without no hassle. Who really knows what's in store?

Jay Hall
Morton Grove, IL, United States

I believe that the top players of these two companies have a vision of where the future market will be and they want to be the front runners.I think this will open the door for other alliances(but not to this vast extent).

Paul Melniczek
Reinholds, Pa, United States

Simply a monopoly. It gives them too much control over the industry. In the long run the consumer will pay.

Gene Blahut SR
Ocala, FL, USA

hope it has good effect and new options for home user

Carol Pritt
Elyria, OH, usa

I think it is a great merger. It is going to change the way we view media.

Rosa Welton
Quincy, MA,

The rich get richer & meaner.

Janice Ing
Brampton, ON, Canada

I was not sure what to think when I heard about this merger but I was not going to worry about it. I am concerned on the various industries, but I am not concerned about the effect on me.

Melanie Wardlow
St. Paul, MN, U.S.A.

I think it is great! More power to them!

Ron Dezern
Hampton, Va, USA

Answer; I would guess that overall, the most noticable effect such a merger could have, might be felt mainly in the cyber entertainment world. Then again, I remember when the swine flu was predicted to be the worst epidemic of the 70's. Let's not forget the dramatic end of the world we missed.

Neal Collins
Akron, OH, USA

This merger will hasten a growing homogeniety of offerings to, as both AOL and Warner realized, a growing homogeneity of consumers. Light, casual tedium. Sigh...

Virginia Magboo
Boston, MA, USA

I think it will be good for both companies.

Todd Detmer
Breese, IL, USA

Awsome and scary. Effects can only be guessed at but unless there developes powerful competition almost immediately, we may all be in for a fiscal shock to consumer's pocket books. Lets not forget that profit is the ultimate motive.

Peter Schwarz
Scandia, MN, USA

It will only have an effect on us if we choose to consume. Hopefully the choice will get better!

Johanna Raynor
Hamilton, New Zealand

Better Graphics, less accessible for your ordinary computer owner/ web server. Maybe they'll keep it simple and either Time Warner will be taken more seriously or AOL less. If they keep the graphics within the limits it might even become a nice experience, graphically speaking that is.

Anja Bakker
Co. Cork, Ireland

Hoping to lower memebership fee and cable rates soon perhaps????

mario Torre
Union, NJ, USA

I feel that it is NOT necessarily a good thing. Few mergers, entertainment-wise, ever seem to trickle down into something worth having combined efforts.

J.N. Corbett
Olathe, KS, USA

I think it will have a great impact on us, the consumers, as it's surely going to put more resources at our fingertips but overall for the industry, it may have created some unfair competition for the smaller competitors in the same industry. Too much power in the hands of one company is not such a great idea, especially in the media/entertainment business, as this is one industry that needs divergent viewpoints.

Leena Hyat
Federal Way, WA, USA

I'm afraid of any big corporation taking over another big corporation. It's proof that there are no more small companies run by families out there to chew up. They've already lost the warm fuzzy feeling of individual service and personality, what more can they take away. I suppose the effect on the consumers is more of the same; We'll all end up being robots and looking alike if we continue to let these enormous businesses take over our lives.

Malinda Barrett
New York, NY, USA

More features for america online but more of a chance of featuere costs.

Pamela Jordan
Roslyn Heights, NY, usa

The effect, is one more leap that the media industry is taking into the internet industry. At some point, the all industries will have great stakes on the internet.

Don Henson
East Lansing, MI, usa

I think that Time Warner will now have a captive audience in the form of any AOL member. What great advertising possibilities. I for one am glad to support a smaller, more local internet provider.

Kerry Cochran
Spokane, WA, USA

The merger was a surprise but once I thought about it seemed like a great ideal. I have admired AOL since its beginning and am glad to see that it is now having further opportunities to make some more money. Only time will tell what the effects on the consumer will be and to speculate would be a waste of time.

Shannon Snyder
Waldorf, MD, USA

Time will tell. Probably no short term effect.

Thomas V Rogers Jr
Falls Church, VA, usa

It is getting to be too big of a monopoly.

Debra Brown
Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Might change my e-mail options, lower my rates?

Kata Hawthorne
Kansas City, KS, USA

I haven't formed an opinion about the merger and I see no direct effect on myself because of it. I do, however, wonder is in a few years they may be considered monoply in their field and risk the same government heavyhandedness as was brought against Microsoft.

Ruth Sherman
Dallas, TX, USA

The merging of large, superpower companies with one another makes the hair on my arms raise (as if they know lightening is about to strike). I do not feel comfortable; they will have too much control over entertainment and the media, which leaves the consumer with fewer options. But, I wouldn't mind if it made internet access and HBO free:)

Kendra Anderson
St. Petersburg, FL, USA

I believe it is big undertaking venture for AOL, but only time will be the denomatator on how it work!

Stephen Wolfe
Catonsville, MD, USA

Democracy has failed. Media is all.

Lowell White
Austin, TX, USA

It'll be fun to see what they come up with.

Yvonne Terry
Salina, KS, USA

I don't like it one bit! Both AOL and Time Warner are already corporate behemoths and this merger will make them an Internet/entertainment Godzilla! We need more competition, not less. Mergers are never good for the consumer because they often lead to industry monopolies which, in turn, engender lower quality products/services and higher prices.

Alan Krawitz
Middle Village, NY, usa

I don't like it. scares me. I don't know enough to tell you what effects the merger will have, but i read a journalist that suggested it will result in a streamlining and force feeding of the companies'favorites to its audience.

Agata Bedynski
Nepean, ON, Canada

I think this merger will really pave the way for more and more similar mergers. Suddenly parent companies will be offering so many products and services, that it may lead to chaos. I have a feeling it will not lead to "better business" but to declining service and quality of products.

Lisa Cook
Pardeeville, WI, United States

Competition for Gates I hope. And competition is a good thing.

Carol Aitken
N. Vancovuer, BC, Canada

Personally, I will not be affected. I rarely watch television and have never used AOL as an internet provider. However, it is rather frightening to think of the pervasive presence they now have and the persuasive power they hold over a benumbed public who seem to believe every sound bite that issues forth from the media.

Donna Holt
Newburyport, MA, USA

I think it will be a profitable move for those involved. It may accelerate the use of internet for major publications and "broadcasting."

Chris Bartal
Granville, OH, USA

Things like this seem tragically inevitable. Communications and media become homogenized literally compelling mergers like this. One doesn't have to like it, but its hard to stop.

Roger Jorgenson
Edmonton, AB, Canada

Are we going towards a monopoly? They will be able to fix their own prices if there isn't anyone else to compete against.

Fae Bitney
Neligh, NE, USA

Just like book publishers, I dislike seeing the big get bigger. Pretty soon there's no choice and we're all doing, reading, thinking what someone else decides for us.

Andrea Sisco
Chanhassen, MN, USA

I don't think it will have any effect except for the people holding stock

Mitzi Gentry
Memphis, TN, USA

I don't like the merger. I don't think its in the best interest of the consumer. I supose one could argue that it will lead to better service...Perhaps, but at what price?!

David Duckett
Spartanburg, SC, USA

I think the merger will be enervating for both companies, and I would imagine that it will be profitable and give the media something new to talk about,per- haps a better way of looking at the consumer as a thinking individual.

Shawn Bolvi
Astoria, OR, USA

I am not comfortable with the merger, I believe that it could have a monopolizing effect on it.

Margaret Vague
Wichita, KS, USA

Good question...I believe that it will allow easier access to entertainment via the internet.

Angela Guidry
Chicago, IL, USA

I don't use AOL. Not sure if a monopoly in the area of the WWW or entertainment is a good thing. Too much of a chance that creativity will be stifeled by anyone not conforming not getting seen.

S. Mc C
Desoto, Tx, USA

Two giant american concerns becoming a single ginormous american concern seems to be a mere matter of scale and very little practical effect.

Jon Meldon
Sth Perth, WA, Australia

I think it smacks of monopoly. While it may provide consumers one-stop shopping, why should one company control so much? What happened to fair competition and our right to choose?

Cindy Vallar
Olathe, KS, USA

Since learning last week that Bertelsmann is divesting themselves of their European AOL holdings to facilitate this merger, it seems a much smaller threat to my chances as an author than previously expected. Upon hearing the next day that Bertelsmann intends to sell more of its e-tech holdings, though, I can only wonder when Bertelsmann will swallow up Time Warner, the smallest (in terms of imprints) of the big 6 publishing gods.

Judy Bouchard
Nokomis, FL, USA

I am sure that the effect will be large. It will surely take business away from smaller companies. I do not really like monopolies like these. I will steer clear of them and patronize the small companies.

Barbara Pipkins
Longwood, FL, United States

I don't really know what will happen, it will be interesting to see. Alot of GOOD things could come from it-but there's the downside, if they choose to really capitalize on it. We'll see!

Debbie Farley
Lancaster, MO, USA

Too many big mergers, keeps the little independent guys out of the loop. I don't like too much power focused in one place.

Marie Jones
Carlsbad, CA, USA

If the "new" AOL is anything like "Time Warner Cable", I'm sure customers can expect frequent increases in the amount it is going to cost them for internet service every month. Also, I do believe there is a danger in a company like that growing too big. Will all media and entertainment be controlled by them in the future? What a sad state of affairs this would be. Companies like this have a tendency to shut out the little guy, and that's a shame.

Lisa Erb
Blandon, Pa, USA

Eventually, if net bandwidth ever improves, they'll be in a better position to deliver video-on-demand... the entire net's so bogged now that it'll be a looooong time before thats a reality

Daniel Morrell
Weymouth, MA, USA

I think this merger is going to benefit all involved. What a better way to keep the public in touch with Entertainment news, happenings and going on right for the source. The impact on use the consumer will just be beneficial to our thirst for knowledge and the convenience to retrieve it straight from the web.

Trish Gillies
Bethesda, MD, USA

I think that mega-media company mergers are inevitable and that in the long run they will prove positive to the entertainment industry as they will have to live up to their respective histories and repuations for providing excellent service and the most advanced technolgies, and essentially, surpass it with ease.

Alison Nalewajk
Montclair, NJ, U.S.A

I think the merger will limit competition. The merger will create a monopoly in the entertainment industry and raise prices to me, the consumer

Ken Fallon
Coventry, RI, usa

As an AOL shareholder, I am concerned that it may slow AOL's growth. I am concerned, for instance, that AOL's share value has diminished since the merger, which is ominous. Further, Ted Turner's comments about the company's social commitments also make me nervous; his liberal vision of the world is not necessarily in anyone's interests. But the fact that AOL is now rich enough to acquire a company of the size and stature of Time Warner is, indeed, a sign that the Internet revolution is very much for real.

Michael Johns
Philadelphia, PA, USA

I believe that they will try to dominate the internet in the future.

John Poindexter
Knox, IN, US

Only more of the same, really. The "news" offered is more like a checklist of how to commit sins of omission: Case in point Hillary admits she hasn't been in the real world for years and knows nothing of life w/o drivers, cooks etc. What happened to Bush in 92 when he wasn't up to snuff on the latest bar code technology? He was SLAMMED all over the media as an eliteist. Could it get worse? I doubt it.

Randall Belchik
Tracy, CA, USA

It probably will have no effect on me at all and I doubt that the entertainment industry will suffer they probably will be enhanced by the merger.

Sharon Palmer
Ravena, NY, USA

I think it will be the first of many mergers.

Thomas Krush
Aiken, SC, US

It's always a little scary to watch big fish form and swallow little fish along the way, but I am sure there will be many exciting changes in television an the Internet.

Kim Harris
Churchville, NY, USA

Soon they will own everything if not slowed down : (

Sharon Haas
Eau Claire, WI, USA