The merger propels us ahead nine months to a year in creating an online entertainment environment. So expect unusual links between online and offline media from the merged AOL Time Warner, Moloshok says. It's already happening, Moloshok says. After five Webisodes are aired on the Web site, they can be bundled and sold as a home video. Celebrities will gravitate to online entertainment, drawing in an audience.
Celebrities are also eager to find new ways to use online entertainment.
Rosie O'Donnell once brought a laptop with her on the talk show to receive viewer questions. It got so much traffic, Interactive Mondays are now a show staple. Large studios will take more chances, rather than looking for big hits. Lower costs of sending data to viewers on the Internet also encourage studios to take chances, without betting too much. Persistence pays Of course, it hasn't always been smiles and handshakes between the two companies.