in January 2001, the $165 billion mega-merger between AOL and Time Warner was the largest media merger in history. The new company promised to offer a powerhouse of integrated communication, media and entertainment across all platforms. But shares of the company fell off sharply in the two years following the merger. Heading into 2003, the company's stock is still down and the SEC and the U.S. Justice Department have opened inquiries into AOL's accounting practices prior to the 2001 merger. [Note: The following breakdown reflects interests and assets as of early 2001.]
Production/Distribution
Warner Brothers Studios
Castle Rock Entertainment
New Line Cinema
Fine Line Features
AOL
CompuServe
Netscape
AOL MovieFone
Digital City
MapQuest.com
Spinner.com
The Atlantic Group
Rhino Records
Elektra Entertainment Group
London-Sire Records Inc.
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Music International
Time Life Music
Columbia House (joint venture)
Giant (Revolution) Records (joint venture)
Maverick (joint venture)
Qwest Records (joint venture)
RuffNation Records (joint venture)
Sub Pop Records (joint venture)
Tommy Boy Records (joint venture)
Networks
WB Television Network
HBO
Cinemax
Time Warner Sports
Comedy Central (50% -- Viacom owns other 50%)
CNN
CNN/fn
CNN/SI
CNN Headline News
TBS
TNT
Cartoon Network
Turner Classic Movies
Court TV (partial ownership)
Production/Distribution
HBO Independent Productions
New Line Television
Turner Original Productions
Warner Brothers Television
Warner Brothers Animation
·Looney Tunes
·Hanna-Barbera
Cable Systems
Time Warner Cable
Sports
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Thrashers
Turner Sports
World Championship Wrestling
Goodwill Games
Books
Time Life Books
Book-of-the-Month Club (managed by Bertelsmann)
Little, Brown & Co.
Bulfinch Press
Back Bay Books
Warner Books
Oxmoor House
Magazines
Time Magazine
Life Magazine
Fortune Magazine
Sports Illustrated
Money
People
Entertainment Weekly
In Style
Southern Living
Cooking Light
The Parent Group (Parenting, Baby Talk, Baby on the Way)
This Old House
The Health Publishing Group
Real Simple
Golf Magazine
Popular Science
Ski
Yachting Magazine
American Express Publishing Corporation (partial ownership; includes
Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, Departures, SkyGuide)
DC Comics
·MAD Magazine
