Before the company reached its carriage agreement with Time Warner, Padden was traveling across the country, visiting local cable franchisers and providers and preaching against the merger. The group had until June 11 to cast its lot, though it asked for a 30-day extension. AOL and Time Warner should be concerned. They made themselves available to answer any of our questions. And you thought it didn't care.
Insurgents wear many hats.
Disney is hardly the only company concerned about the downside of a merger between AOL and Time Warner. All of these providers have a vested interest in open access. You can bet that Yahoo and all of its rivals, such as Disney's sixth-rated Go Network, are looking for some protection. Edgar Bronfman is surely watching merger developments closely. Seagram holds 92 percent of the Universal Music Group and Universal Studios, and would love to see its music, movies and television programs carried to consumers via broadband.