AOL, Microsoft reportedly in MediaOne talks
By Bloomberg News
Special to CNET News.com
April 30, 1999, 9:15 a.m. PT
America Online and Microsoft have signed confidentiality agreements with
MediaOne Group allowing MediaOne to separately discuss mergers with
the companies, according to media reports.
According to a Wall Street Journal article, citing unnamed sources, the
agreements were approved by Comcast, whose bid for MediaOne was topped by
AT&T.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen may also help Comcast make a successful bid
for MediaOne, the paper said.
Today's news is just the latest chapter in the battle over MediaOne and its
broadband pipes.
On Tuesday, AT&T secured $30 billion in financing to cover its bid for the cable
operator.
Word that either Microsoft or AOL was interested in teaming with Comcast to
help salvage the cable operator's bid for MediaOne surfaced earlier this week.
The move, media reports claimed, would help further the ambitions of the two
players in digital television and high-speed Internet access.
AOL, the No. 1 Internet service, declined comment, while Microsoft, the world's
largest software maker and MediaOne, the No. 4 U.S. cable company, couldn't be
reached for comment.
News.com's Aimee Male contributed to this report.
Copyright 1999, Bloomberg L.P. All Rights Reserved. |
