Barbie shop with me cash register

I'm in Charge Here - Column

Byline: Cynthia L. Webb

AOL Time Warner Chairman Steve Case didn't address media speculation about his future at the media giant yesterday at a Goldman Sachs investor's conference. Instead, he insisted that he will take on a more active role in the company's management. "I plan to be more active now," Case said to a luncheon crowd, according to the Reuters dispatch. "As chairman, my role is to run the board, partner with Dick Parsons [the company's CEO] and roll up my sleeves and be helpful." The London Guardian had a different take on the quote, with Case saying he "will roll up my sleeves and try to be helpful." * Reuters: AOL Chief Plans More Active Role * The Guardian: AOL Boss Admits to Lack of Leadership

Case admitted that there had been a lack of leadership at the company's America Online units, but he told conference goers that he meets once a week with Jonathan Miller , the new head of AOL. Case also emphasized that it's good for the chairman and chief executive to have distinctive roles -- never mind that a number of insiders reportedly want Case to have no role at all at the company. Case didn't say much about AOL's accounting woes, just that more details would emerge soon. AOL is under watch from federal investigators for some unconventional accounting and some rather creative advertising deals negotiated by the online unit's aggressive business affairs unit.

Case said AOL's new management team is working on a formal plan to boost the online operation, which will be presented to the board in November. "While it is important to look back and learn from mistakes, it's more important to look ahead and lean into the future with a healthy measure of optimism," said Case, according to The Wall Street Journal. * The New York Times: AOL Chairman Tries to Calm Jittery Investors (Registration required) * The Wall Street Journal: AOL's Case Goes on Offensive, Defends Time Warner Merger (Paid subscription required)

Meanwhile, Disney chief Michael Eisner said odds that his company and AOL Time Warner will merge the news operations of ABC and CNN are iffy. "I wouldn't rank this as more than a 50/50 possibility at this point," Eisner said, as quoted by The Los Angles Times. Pushing the envelope a bit further, the New York Post reports that some executives at AOL Time Warner are considering merging operations -- plural -- with Disney. An AOL Time Warner spokesman said no dice. * The Los Angeles Times: Eisner Aims Low on Recovery (Registration required) * New York Post: Mouse Hunting

Here's $25 Mil for Your Troubles

Gary Winnick , former chair of beleaguered telecom Global Crossing , denied wrongdoing in the company's unraveling, but told congressional lawmakers at a hearing yesterday that he would give $25 million from his own fortune to cover some retirement money for about 14,000 employees (wonder what that comes out to per worker?). Winnick made $734 million from selling shares of Global Crossing before the company collapsed. "I call on other chairmen and C.E.O.'s of other companies to step up and write a check," Winnick said, as quoted in The New York Times.

The House subcommittee probing the telecom industry released internal documents that indicated Winnick knew of Global's deals to swap capacity with other telecoms, a practice apparently used by many telecommunications firms to boost revenues. Winnick and Qwest execs at the hearings said the deals were legitimate business deals. * The New York Times: Global Crossing Head Offers Workers $25 Million (Registration required) * The Washington Post: Global Chief Pledges to Aid Firm's Employees

* The Rocky Mountain News: Nacchio Combative * House Energy and Commerce Committee: Global Crossing and Qwest Information

Paying Up

WorldCom got the OK from a federal judge yesterday to make further severance payments to about 4,000 employees who got the short end of the stick when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The cost will be $36 million to WorldCom. Interesting: The company said it needed to make the payments to boost morale at the company. So, does that mean more layoffs (with severance) are in the works for workers who escaped previous rounds of cuts? * The Washington Post: Severance Increase for WorldCom Employees Approved * The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.): WorldCom Severance OK'd

Come On, Big Money

The odds aren't looking great for online gamblers in the U.S. The House of Representatives yesterday passed legislation that would nix Americans from using credit cards, checks and electronic funds transfers to pay for online bets. Anyone want to bet on the odds of this passing? * The Las Vegas Review-Journal: House Takes a Swipe at Internet Gambling

* The Associated Press (via the Reno Gazette-Journal): House Passes Bill to Ban Online Gamblers From Using Credit Cards

Swell for Dell

Texas-based Dell Computer yesterday boosted its expectations for revenue for its third quarter. The company said revenue will reach $9.1 billion, up from $8.9 billion. Dell released the news in advance of its fall conference with analysts today in Austin. * Austin American-Statesman: Dell Says Third quarter is Stronger Than Expected * Dallas Morning News: Dell Raises Forecast for Quarterly Revenue (Registration required) * Dell statement

KPIG Fans Take Note

Record labels and Internet broadcasters are closer to a compromise on music-royalty fees that could be a lifeline for small radio stations. House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) withdrew a bill that would suspend royalties for six months. The move was made because the industry and webcasters say a deal on royalties is imminent. Sensenbrenner gave both sides until Friday to work something out or he will try to push the bill through. * washingtonpost.com: Deal Imminent on Web Radio Royalties * The Los Angeles Times: Webcasters Closer to Royalties Deal (Registration required) * The Wall Street Journal: Web Radio Stations Near Royalties Deal (Paid subscription required)

New Name, New Game?

Recession blues taking a bite out of your consulting firm's business? Perhaps a new name will help. Better yet, a name derived from real words is a novel concept these days (imagine that, Accenture and Monday). KPMG Consulting , a business consulting and systems integration company, officially changed its name today to BearingPoint Inc. (yep, some marketing consultants got paid to come up with that name). The company's stock will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BE. * Reuters: KPMG Consulting Renamed BearingPoint * KPMG statement

The Net Impact

How much has the Internet impacted your life? Last week, the Oxford Internet Institute , which studies the Internet and its social consequences, had its first conference to try and probe the effects of the 'Net. "The fundamental implication of changes in information technology is that it reconfigures access," Professor Bill Dutton , newly appointed director of the institute, told BBC Online. "Not just in terms of the digital divide but also who you know, what you know and what you get access to and use." * BBC Online: What The Net Is Doing to You * Oxford Internet Institute site

Digital Hit List

A Princeton computer science professor has launched a site called Fritz's Hit List to highlight items that could have to incorporate anti-copying technology if Democratic Sen. Fritz Hollings (S.C.) gets his way with a bill to stump digital piracy. Some items on the list? Baby monitors and the Shop With Me Barbie toy cash register. * ZDNet News: Professor Posts Digital Device Hit List * Ed Felten's "Fritz's Hit List"

Filter is designed for hard-core techies, news junkies and technology professionals alike. Have suggestions, cool links or interesting tales to share? Send your tips and feedback to cindy.webb@washingtonpost.com.