• NYTimes, Monday, November 7, 2005 3:30 PM

The New York Times reports that Microsoft appears to be top among the list of those seeking a big stake in America Online, according to two inside sources, who noted that coordinating a deal for the Time Warner unit has been difficult despite interest from major companies. The sources said that Bill Gates was singularly motivated by an interest in stemming Google's growth. In a meeting with the Times, Bill Gates added that Microsoft's interest in AOL is about playing a greater role in the future of online advertising, which is currently dominated by Google and Yahoo! According to comScore Media Metrix, Time Warner sites attracted 119 million users in September, most of which came from AOL. MSN and other Microsoft sites reached 114 million users; the addition of AOL would firmly lock Microsoft in the No. 1 spot, ahead of Yahoo! with 123 million users, and Google, with 88 million users. This would make it the top destination for advertisers looking to reach broad audiences. The battle, however, is most likely over a stake in AOL, as Time Warner Chief Richard Parsons has said the company will not sell the portal unless it receives a very big offer.

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