General Motors dumps AOL
C|Net | at | by Mike
General Motors' Hughes Electronics unit disclosed it has ended its relationship with AOL Time Warner's America Online division, according to a regulatory filing by the DirecTV operator. As a result of the deal's dissolution, Hughes will incur a $23 million pretax charge in its 2002 earnings. But the deal-scrapping will also free Hughes of a commitment to spend up to $1 billion on sales, marketing, development and promotions associated with joint products and services with AOL. Hughes will continue to offer high-speed satellite Internet service to AOL broadband subscribers while the parties break apart their arrangement.