TECHNOLOGY - May 8, 1996

Prodigy May Be Close to Sale: The sale of Prodigy Services Co. to a team of investors led by its president, Ed Bennett, appears closer to happening, although a source involved in the deal said no final decision had been made and seemed unlikely this week. A technology industry journal, Interactive Week, reported on its online service that a deal will be announced Friday. The report, which did not identify sources, placed the value of the deal between $100 million and $250 million, although that would be sharply less than the comparable value of Prodigy rivals America Online and CompuServe in the stock market. Representatives of Prodigy and its owners, International Business Machines and Sears, Roebuck & Co. declined comment on the report.