Implications of the AOL-Time Warner Merger
On January 11, 2001, America Online and Time Warner completed
their historic merger shortly after the Federal Communications Commission approved the deal with conditions that affect instant messaging and Net cable access. This one hundred and nine billion dollar merger of America Online and Time Warner is one of the largest deals in corporate history. The deal combines the world's largest Internet Service Provider with the world's largest media company. AOL has about twenty-six million subscribers and also runs instant messaging services and Netscape Netcenter. Time Warner's cable network reaches twenty percent of cable homes in the United States, and also has its own film and music studios, cable and TV broadcasting properties such as HBO and CNN, and publishes Time and People magazines.
Steve Case, chairman of the combined company, said that "AOL Time Warner will lead the convergence of the media, entertainment,
communications and Internet industries and provide wide ranging,
innovative benefits for consumers." Millions of people already take
advantage of the brands, services, and technologies that AOL offers, and by integrating these two companies these services will be a part of
people's daily lives even more. "The approval of this merger came with
three key restrictions beyond those already required by the Federal Trade Commission," said William Kennard, FCC Chairman. The new conditions put on the AOL-Time Warner merger are designed to protect the Internet and its competitiveness. The conditions apply to three specific areas, which include: Internet access over high-speed cable lines, instant messaging via cable lines, and ownership issues between AT&T and Time Warner.
The initial concern of the Federal Trade Commission was that the
merger of these two powerful companies would deny competitors access to
new broadband technology. Therefore, the restrictions enforced by the FTC are to ensure that a full range of content and services by non-affiliated Internet Service Providers is available to subscribers, to prevent discrimination by AOL-Time Warner to other non-affiliated Internet Service providers, to provide a full range of content and services and to lessen competition in the market for broadband Internet Service Provider service. The FTC restrictions state that first AOL-Time Warner must make at least one non-affiliated cable broadband service available on Time Warner's cable systems before AOL itself begins offering its service. Second, AOL-Time Warner cannot interfere with content that it has restricted to deliver to subscribers of its cable
For five years after Revolutionary war each state basically governed themselves. Although there was national government in place, it held little power over the states. It soon became apparent that the Articles of Confederation needed to be readdressed to combat the increasing problems that were brewing in the country. The first attempt to redress was dismissed by many of the states. Nevertheless, a second attempt produced results with twelve of the states sending delegates to redress the Articles of Confederation. Several delegates submitted plans for consideration that would strengthen the national government two such plans were the Virginia and the New Jersey Plan. Despite much of Virginia’s plan being accepted, if a compromise had not been reached the New Jerseys plan would have been more workable because it offered: equal representation of the states, provided operational means to congress, and was not a radical departure from the Articles of the Confederation.
Of particular importance is the deregulation of the telecommunications industry as mentioned in the act (“Implementation of the Telecommunications Act,” NTLA). This reflects a new thinking that service providers should not be limited by artificial and now antique regulatory categories but should be permitted to compete with each other in a robust marketplace that contains many diverse participants. Moreover the Act is evidence of governmental commitment to make sure that all citizens have access to advanced communication services at affordable prices through its “universal service” provisions even as competitive markets for the telecommunications industry expand. Prior to passage of this new Act, U.S. federal and state laws and a judicially established consent decree allowed some competition for certain services, most notably among long distance carriers. Universal service for basic telephony was a national objective, but one developed and shaped through federal and state regulations and case law (“Telecommunications Act of 1996,” Technology Law). The goal of universal service was referred to only in general terms in the Communications Act of 1934, the nation's basic telecommunications statute. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 among other things: (i) opens up competition by local telephone companies, long distance providers, and cable companies ...
In 1996, Congress passed the Telecommunications Act thereby lifting restrictions on media ownership that had been in place for over sixty years (Moyers 2003; Bagdikian 2000: xviii). It was now possible for a single media company to own not just two radio stations in any given local market, but eight. On the national level, there was no longer any limit on the number of stations a company could own – the Act abandoned the previous nation-wide ownership cap of forty stations (20 FM and 20 AM). This “anti-regulatory sentiment in government” has continued and in 2004 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a new rule that would allow corporations to own “45 percent of the media in a single market, up from [the] 35 percent” established by the 1996 Act (Croteau & Hoynes 2001: 30; AFL-CIO 2004). Companies can now also own both a newspaper and a television station in the same city (AFL-CIO 2004). This deregulation has led to a frenzied wave of mergers – most notably the Viacom/CBS merger in 1999, the largest in history (Croteau & Hoynes 2001: 21). Ownership of the media has rapidly consolidated into fewer and fewer hands as companies have moved to gobble up newspapers, television stations, and radio stations across the country.
Branding/Promotion – AT&T is leading to be the only telecommunication company their customers need by connecting people better than anyone else.
As everyone knows, teen pregnancy rate is increasing more and more each day and someone needs to do something to try and either stop it or decrease it dramatically. Teen pregnancy is causing dramatic population increase and that’s just common sense. Teens getting pregnant at such a young age is also causing poverty levels to go up more and more. Mississippi Spent over $100 million on teen pregnancy alone in the year 2010 (“Teen Pregnancy”). Just think of what it is now. More teens are dropping out of school and not finishing their education. According to the authors of this article, “approximately 30 percent of teen mothers have mothers who dropped out of high school, 40 percent have mothers who are mothers who dropped out of high school, 40 percent have mothers who are high school graduates, and 30 percent have mothers who attended college”(Kearny et al 143). Many people don’t realize that there are many effects of teen pregnancy including higher risk of birth defect, more likely to drop out, and also abortion rates increase.
Named accordingly, the Great Compromise brought together the ideas of the Virginia and New Jersey plans. Each plan had it’s own version of what the federal system would consist of. The Virginia Plan abandoned the federal system created by the Articles, in favor of a new model of government that had both federal and national features. The Virginia Plan called for a two-house legislature determined by population. On the other hand, the New Jersey Plan called for a modified federal system based on the existing Articles of Confederation. The plan called for a single legislature in which each state would have one vote. However, because no one could agree on which plan of action to adapt, a compromise had to be made.
The birth rate among teens in the United States has declined 9% from 2009 to 2010, a historic low among all racial and ethnic groups, with the least being born in 2010; and in 2011 the number of babies born to adolescents aged 15-19 years of age was 329,797 (“Birth Rates for U.S.”, 2012). Although the decline in unwanted and unplanned teen births is on the rise the United States continues to be among the highest of industrialized countries facing this problem. This is a prevailing social concern because of the health risks to these young mothers as well as their babies. Teens at higher risk of becoming pregnant are raised at or below the poverty level by single parents; live in environments that cause high levels of stress (i.e., divorce, sexual psychological and physical abuse); are influenced by peers or family members that are sexually active; and lack parental guidance that would direct them to be responsible and self-controlled.
The overall teen birth rate has declined by 16 percent from 1991 to 1997. “All states are recording a decline and it is the sixth year in a row that the teen birth rate has declined,” stated Donna Shalala, HHS secretary of U. S. Newswire. Although the birthrate among teens is decreasing and the percentage of teenagers who have had sexual intercourse is declining, it is a multi-fauceted problem affecting today’s youth. The government is taking in to consideration all possibilities and conditions with teen births to make an affective way to prevent it.
Studies show that between 2006 and 2011 there was an average drop of about 30% of teen pregnancies and 50% of teens involved in any kind of sexual activity (not just intercourse) in America. According to a recent study as of 2008, teen birth rates in the U.S., (which have been declining for tw...
The telecommunications industry is of vital importance to the development of the information-based economy. AT&T need to supply access to cost efficient, timely and innovative telecommunications services.
Although teen pregnancy rates are slowly declining, they are still extremely high in America. This can be solved by educating teens on the effects of teen pregnancy and through the use of contraceptives. Some effects of teen pregnancy are depression, financial issues and neglect. There should be more resources available to inform teens on the effects of teen pregnancy throughout the United States. Teen pregnancy is a social issue which needs to be taken seriously although it is very commonly joked about.
In fact, some of the biggest threats to the company’s growth are the government’s regulation that increases the risk to the underlying business. In addition, the risk of losing the exclusive contract for the iPhone would be a major loss for AT&T. Most of the consumers choose AT&T because of their exclusive contract for the iPhone. Hence, this loss of business will significantly influence the AT&T's profitability and revenue. Moreover, the antitrust authorities play an important role on approved the merger of AT&T.
Teen pregnancy is a heavy topic in the United States that is now becoming the norm to most people. It has become broadcasted everywhere from TV shows, movies, and the Internet. Approximately 7% of teenage girl between ages 15-18 in the United States will become pregnant. Teen pregnancy has been down 42% since 1990 yet United States teen pregnancy rates are higher than any other first world country. Teenage pregnancy effects teenager’s physical health, social life, education, and jobs.
Approximately one million teens get pregnant and give birth every year in the United States. Eighty percent of those births are to unmarried teens (ProQuest). There are serious consequences for teen pregnancy for the child as well as for the mother. The opportunity to a bright future dwindles down with such a high responsibility; a child. Many teens who end up pregnant do not finish high school and are less likely even consider going to college. Another effect of teen pregnancy is that both mother and child become apt to health issues. Infants are more likely to suffer from low birth weight and other health problems. Most teens do not have health insurance therefore it becomes harder to provide adequate healthcare for themselves and their babies. Not only are children of teen parents more likely to be unhealthy physically but sometimes emotionally as well. A teen cannot provide the fostering environment that a baby needs to develop. Although teen pregnancy rates declined throughout the 1990s, a 3 percent jump in births to teen mothers between 2005 and 2006 raised alarm that sex education programs and campaigns to reduce teen motherhood were failing (ProQuest). Various methods of contraceptives and the righteous yet difficult choice of abstinence are among possible solutions Preventing teen pregnancy is an issue in the United States of utmost importance and society as a whole must convince teens in a more innovative , extreme way and they must push forward now.
It is very fortunate that the number of teen birth rates and number of teen pregnancies have decreased significantly in the past years. Even though the numbers have decreased, it is still an important issue that needs to be publicized and heard. With the help of good, informative sexual health education programs and foundations that continue raising the awareness of teenage pregnancy, the numbers should continue going down. This would not only be a good thing for teenagers, but also the society as the whole, as they would no longer be contributing to other social issues like poverty, poor education, and abuse. With teenage pregnancy decreasing, the society as a whole would be improving.