Time Warner drops 'confusing' AOL tag

13 April 2012

LESS than three years after its record $112bn (£69.2bn) merger, AOL Time Warner is dropping the first three letters of its name in a graphic illustration of the failure of the disastrous experimental marriage between 'old' and new media.

The deal between internet service provider America Online and Time Warner was heralded as the beginning of a new era and put AOL firmly in the driving seat. But now, with mounting losses, it has become little more than an embarrassment, adding nothing to its brand.

Almost immediately after the merger, AOL fell from its position as premier internet company. It also failed to combine successfully with Time Warner, thanks to deep differences in corporate culture. It is struggling to attract new customers and is also under investigation by regulatory authorities for accounting irregularities.

Time Warner, as the company will once again be called, is also dropping the AOL stock trading ticker in favour of Time Warner's TWX ticker symbol.

The company said the decision for the change came about when AOL's chief executive, who was hired to turn around the ailing internet company, said the name was confusing customers who tended to call the entire group simply 'AOL'.

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