November 13, 2002

NY Times: New Top-Level Change at AOL Could Foretell Fresher Content

My spin:Back to the basics....AOL and others have been pushing pop up boxes in our faces, streaming media ads and other junk. HOWEVER, focusing on one's customers is the KEY and what matters!

James de Castro resigned yesterday as president of America Online's flagship interactive service and was replaced by its vice chairman, Ted Leonsis, signaling an intention to resurrect Mr. Leonsis's long-held vision of the service as a medium for presenting original programming.

The departure of Mr. de Castro after just seven months on the job and the appointment of Mr. Leonsis come just three weeks before the date set by the division's parent company, AOL Time Warner, for unfolding a new business plan, intended to attract more high-speed broadband users and replace its declining sales of advertising and marketing packages. The company is enforcing a public silence about the details of its plans until then, creating a steadily increasing drumbeat of anticipation and pressure from Wall Street.
(full story)

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