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House to Hear AOL/Time Warner Deal Critics

George Mannes

WASHINGTON -- Critics of the AOL (AOL)/Time Warner (TWX) deal will get their say in the House of Representatives after all.

At the Wednesday opening of a House Telecommunications Subcommittee hearing focusing on the power the companies may possess in interactive TV, Rep. Bill Tauzin, the Louisiana Republican who chairs the subcommittee, promised a second hearing, at which the deal's critics could get to speak. In Wednesday's hearing, the only witnesses scheduled to testify were AOL Chairman Steve Case and Time Warner Chairman Gerald Levin. The second hearing most likely will be held Oct. 6, he said.

Democrats had protested the abbreviated lineup for the Wednesday hearing because it didn't include the companies' competitors or consumer representatives.

Tauzin blamed the lack of other witnesses Wednesday on the demands of dealing with the Firestone tire debacle, which has taken up so much time.