Now, AOL Everywhere - The New York Times (1999) on the emergence of broadband internet:

Ultimately, though, America Online is betting that the cable companies need it more than it needs them. Mr. Pittman argues that if anyone can sell broadband, it is America Online, because the most likely prospective buyers are its 17 million members. ‘‘We realize that we’re one of the few who can write the big check,’’ he said.

Reading old AOL reporting, and it’s fascinating how execs downplayed what would inevitably become the company’s downfall. They really thought they could become cable tv.