05/19/97 COMPUSERVE: TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?

COMPUSERVE: TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?

SINCE COMPUSERVE INC.'S founding in 1969, the first online service has had a reputation for offering oodles of content. But that content has often been hidden in a maze that has left customers befuddled, lost, and ultimately unhappy. To make life easier for its estimated 2.5 million subscribers, CompuServe has reorganized its content into 21 ''communities'' under headings such as investing, health, education, and sports. The move could bring coherence to CompuServe's 3,000 content areas and 1,000 discussion groups. Ultimately, the communities should make it easier for subscribers to find an area of interest, tap in, and soak up the material or chat.
But is it a case of too little, too late? H&R Block Inc., which owns 80% of the service, has already discussed selling CompuServe to America Online Inc., its far-larger rival--AOL has 7 million subscribers. Without identifying a potential buyer, a CompuServe spokesman confirmed that the talks ''are continuing.'' That probably means that communities may ease the way for subscribers but that they won't be sufficient to keep CompuServe independent.
EDITED BY CATHERINE ARNST
Peter Elstrom