AOL wants to strengthen its brand

The internet portal and e-mail service claims that the association with its parent firm is creating a negative image amongst its customers.

In a memo to staff, America Online chief executive Jonathan Miller told his staff that AOL had become shorthand for the media giant and that the association had been damaging.

"Any controversy or criticism involving the corporate entity has actually hit our consumer brand," Mr Miller wrote.

"I believe it's time to get our brand back."

America Online has suffered a decline in subscribers recently, as surfers switch to faster services.

Accusations

AOL Time Warner has been subject to a rush of bad publicity after the US financial regulator started an investigation into the firm's accounts.

It has also been hit by numerous shareholder lawsuits that accuse the firm of misleading investors.

Ironically, Time Warner executives have long wanted to rid itself of the AOL start to its name.

Time Warner has rapidly become the dominant force within the firm since the merger of the two firms in June 2000.

Several senior managers from the AOL side of the deal have already left or ceded power to the Time Warner originals.

And a name change would fuel the theory that the merger - once heralded as a masterpiece deal between old and new media firms - actually held few synergies.

Decision time

AOL Time Warner confirmed the board would consider the requested name change.

"Dick Parsons and senior management are considering a name change as a result of the America Online request," said AOL Time Warner spokeswoman Mia Carbonell.

"But this will be a decision made in due course with the board."