Why the mega-merger collapsed: strong wills and a big culture gap; TCI-Bell Atlantic belly-flop after dispute over price slows rush to wire U.S.; Mr. Malone's 23 questions

Stubborn CEOs and the disparate cultures of Bell Atlantic Corp and Tele-Communications Inc are blamed for the failure of the planned merger of the two companies. The partnership was doomed when negotiations could not resolve concerns over TCI's future cash flow and Bell Atlantic's falling stock price. The companies had planned to invest $15 to $20 billion over five years in the nationwide information highway. Analysts expect the failed deal to result in rival telephone and cable companies pursuing smaller-scale partnerships and technology-sharing pacts rather than complete mergers. TCI and Bell-Atlantic publicly blame the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the failure of the deal, and they say they will pursue joint ventures together.