Media Digest 8/20/2007 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Barron's

According to Reuters, the spotlight in an investigation of Dell’s (DELL) accounting practices will fall on whether company founder and CEO Michael Dell had any role in the restatement of numbers.

Reuters writes that the Whole Foods (WFMI) merger with Wild Oats (OATS) could pave the way for other mergers that are pending.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Countrywide (CFC) has begun to lay off employees involved in originating loans.

The Wall Street Journal writes that crude prices should stay high this year as a strong supply will an abundant supply begins to drop.

The New York Times writes that a slowdown in advertising growth at AOL may hurt the chances for turning around the Time Warner (TWX) unit.

The New York Times writes that Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) has introduced a feature that allows PCs to print documents on almost any printer.

The New York Times writes that business and political interest in Europe are waiting for a September ruling on the EU’s huge antitrust suit against Microsoft (MSFT).

According to the FT, AOL says its slow ad growth is a "hiccup".

Barron’s writes that Sony (SNE) PS3 could face more sales problems due to poor sales of Electronic Arts (ERTS) new Madden NFL .08 for the game platform.

Douglas A. McIntyre