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AOL Acquires Animated News, Inc.
AOL Extends Leadership in Online Entertainment News

Hollywood, California – Online consumers seeking the best animation news will now find it on the leading free portal on the web – AOL.com. Animated News, Inc. has been acquired by America Online, Inc., solidifying AOL’s leadership position as the premier destination for online entertainment news.

AOL’s acquisition agreement with Animated News was signed and closed today. Financial terms were not disclosed. The website was previously privately held and financed. Animated News was co-founded by animation journalists Joshua “Mickey” Armstrong, Ben Simon, James R Whitson, and Christian Ziebarth in October 2003.

Once Animated News is fully integrated within AOL’s existing, industry-leading news and search products in the coming months, AOL.com will deliver a single, comprehensive and robust ‘one-stop-shop’ search experience that provides consumers with the access, functionality, premium assets, original content, and advanced search tools for unparalleled online discovery of animation news.

Animated News’ Ziebarth said, “America Online and Animated News have joined forces to bring you an ever greater array of products and services all fueled by the latest technology to make your life simpler and more enjoyable so that you can have more time to spend with your family and friends.”

AOL will keep the current staff of Animated News around for at least three months before finalizing a new team to run the website.

About Animated News, Inc.

Animated News, with bureaus stretching from California to London, is one of the internet’s premier sources for daily animation news. The Animated News team is comprised of a group of devoted animation journalists delivering highly relevant and up-to-the-minute news and information to thousands of readers a day.

About America Online, Inc.

America Online, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate a leading network of Web brands and the largest Internet access subscription service in the United States. Brands include the AOL(r) service, the AOL.com(r) website, and the AIM(r), MapQuest(r), Moviefone(r), Netscape(r), CompuServe(r) and ICQ(r) services. America Online offers a range of digital services including the TotalTalk(r) voice service. The company also has operations in Canada and Europe. America Online, Inc. is based in Dulles, Virginia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX).