NEW YORK: AOL Time Warner Inc is expected to make another write-down of several billion dollars – on top of the record US$54bil charge it took last year – increasing the strain on its balance sheet, analysts and investors say.
The world’s largest media company had warned last October of the probability that it would take a “substantial” non-cash goodwill impairment charge in the fourth quarter to reflect the reduced value of its America Online unit since its 2001 merger with Time Warner.