AT&T is seeking at least $1 billion in cash from AOL Time Warner as a condition for accepting AOL's plan for dissolving the Time Warner Entertainment joint venture. If AT&T and AOL do not make a deal, TWE will either become a public company or the partnership's rules say that AT&T can require AOL to buy out as much of AT&T's stake as Bank of America determines the public would buy. In short order, AOL could find itself having to fork over $9B in cash or risk losing its crown jewel, HBO. |