Note the Time Warner story from Reuters...
Keith Ford
King Field
Paper: Time Warner Sets Terms for Access
Saturday October 7, 3:28 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Time Warner Inc (TWX) is requiring some Internet
service providers to pay up to 75 percent of their revenue and relinquish
some control of content to gain access to its high-speed network, The
Washington Post reported on Saturday.
The Post reported that unnamed sources said the Federal Trade Commission is
examining the terms of many of the deals proposed to smaller Internet
service providers to determine if they violate Time Warner's promise to open
its high-speed cable TV lines to competitors in the wake of its $183 billion
merger announcement with America Online Inc (AOL).
Time Warner is requiring nearly 40 Internet companies in Texas to give up 75
percent of their subscriber fees and 25 percent of revenues from other
sources such as advertising in order to gain access to its cable TV network,
according to term sheets obtained by the Post.
In addition, the term sheets indicate Time Warner would get approval control
over the Internet service providers' home pages and "prominent
above-the-fold areas on the home page of the service for use."
"Totally ridiculous," said Dave Robertson, vice president and general
manager of Stic.net, an Internet service provider in San Antonio with more
than 10,000 subscribers. "The bottom line is, they don't have a desire to
open their network."
Time Warner denied the charge, saying it and AOL are committed to open
access, the Post reported.
Cable networks are one way to deliver high-speed Internet access to
residential customers. Time Warner's cable network reaches 18.8 percent of
all cable customers nationwide.
©2000 Reuters Limited.
