Rim Semiconductor Company (fka RSMI)

[34Simmons]

Think NVEI being involved here when reading! imho

By BRIAN STEINBERG
Dow Jones Newswires

NEW YORK -- In his first presentation before the general public since being named to his post, America Online Chairman and Chief Executive Jonathan F. Miller said the popular Internet service could become a vehicle for programming that would increasingly take on characteristics similar to television cable networks.

Speaking before a sparse crowd at the annual Internet World conference, Mr. Miller didn't directly discuss the recent troubles at AOL Time Warner Inc.'s Internet unit. But he described America Online as "a company that is in the news every day and every way, whether we want it to be there or not" -- a possible reference to the current regulatory probes into accounting practices at America Online, or investor perceptions that the operation's flagging performance has contributed to a sharp drop in AOL Time Warner shares.

Mr. Miller, a former executive at USA Interactive, joined America Online in early September, part of a turnaround effort to retool the way the online entity does business. Since taking charge, he has eliminated America Online's deal-making unit and reorganized its executive structure.

While Mr. Miller didn't take any questions, he sketched out a variety of new initiatives that America Online would be developing in the near future. His remarks were similar to those of AOL Time Warner Chairman Steve Case, who on Tuesday suggested ways that America Online could be used to develop a digital-media delivery service as well as a new sort of "personal television."

The new ideas include "a spirit of taking back this company, taking it back for our members," Mr. Miller said. America Online's future development, he said, would hinge on making the service more available and more desirable to its 35 million subscribers.

Developing America Online via broadband is a top goal, he said. "Our commitment to broadband is clear, and it is unwavering," he said.

Broadband users should soon be able to have separate screens and community features crafted exclusively for them when the service launches its version 8.0 this month. Mr. Miller also spoke of a goal of getting members to take "elements of their daily habitual behavior and transfer it to broadband habitual behavior."

In terms of content, Mr. Miller promised "a lot more firsts and exclusives," such as celebrity chats, more entertainment programming and more "special deals for members." Echoing recent statements by other AOL Time Warner executives, he pointed to a new initiative launched this summer that has offered subscribers a sneak listen to unreleased songs from artists like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Bruce Springsteen.

According to Mr. Miller, executives also want America Online to become more integral to subscribers' lives, with more "appointment" events and "more reminders." Additionally, some programming and offerings could become part of "premium content and services that our members will pay extra for," he said.

Mr. Miller also hinted at the development of a concept called "match chat," an extension of the company's popular instant-messaging services that allows users to communicate in real-time. He didn't elaborate.

Write to Brian Steinberg at [e-mail].

See full coverage at http://wsj.com/AOL