Disney On Time-AOL Merger: Share

The Walt Disney Co. is asking federal regulators to require America Online and Time Warner to agree to provide other Internet service providers access to their high-speed cable lines as a condition of approval of their merger.

Disney's request was part of a filing on the proposed merger Thursday with the Federal Communications Commission.

"Disney is not opposing the proposed merger. We do think the Federal Communications Commission should impose meaningful and enforceable conditions ... and rather than vague promises of open access, we think that spelling out what is acceptable and unacceptable is vital in this proposed merger so that consumers know what they're getting," Disney spokesman John Dreyer said.

He said the open access question was specifically aimed at keeping high-speed broadband lines, which are able to distribute Internet video, sound and data simultaneously, open to competing content providers.

Federal regulators have refused to broach the issue of mandatory sharing of cable companies' high-speed lines.

Currently, companies that want access to cable companies' high-speed lines must negotiate agreements with them. The cable industry favors continuation of this voluntary approach.

"This really is about what happens when there is broadband distribution of content, full broadband that is interactive. What if there's only one cable provider where you live? With broadband, there won't be full competition," Dreyer said Thursday night.

Time Warner's cable systems include WB Network, Warner Bros. Studios, cable networks and print media holdings. AOL is the nation's largest Internet Service Provider.

In a statement, AOL said the companies have made clear that their "commitment to open access and content diversity couldn't be stronger."

The companies "are also committed to offering consumers a broad choice of the best content available regardless of who produces it, and to distributing our own content as widely as possible on as many platforms as possible regardless of affiliation," the statement said.

By LOUINN LOTA