(2003-02-02) -- Their near simultaneous resignation announcements was no coincidence. Charles Schwab leaves his eponymous discount brokerage, and Ted Turner departs as Vice Chairman of AOL Time Warner to become partners in the Stock Shopping Network (SSN), a 24-hour cable channel similar to Home Shopping Network or QVC.
Combining Schwab's bypass-the-middleman approach to stock selling, and Turner's cable programming prowess, SSN will feature hosts pitching stocks from a studio in Atlanta. Viewers will call a toll-free number to buy shares. A counter will appear onscreen showing how many shares have been purchased. The hosts, telegenic stock brokers and analysts, will present their top picks along with research and "insider information," and urge callers to "hurry before they're all gone."