It was an ominous email sent out to staffers by CNN News group chairman Tom Johnson and president Phil Kent: expect aggressive changes in the news operations next year as the network plans the merger of Time Warner with AOL.One of the major changes involves putting each employee?s performance under a microscope.

"Expect a detailed and wide-ranging announcement early in the new year," read the e-mail. "In the coming weeks, we will consider the talents, skills and potential of each employee."

The two senior executives first praised the CNN news team?s election coverage, which sent its viewership soaring. "As you know, this is a time of change here at CNN," the email went on to say. "Aggressive programming changes. Aggressive changes in the way we gather the news and bring it to our viewers."

Apparently, the email has sent butterflies flitting about in CNN executives and journos stomachs. Who said restructuring was ever easy!!

Doesn?t it seem a lot like deja vu? The Convergence Bill may finally not make its way to Parliament in the Winter session which is on currently. The group of ministers which is studying the Fali Nariman Committee recommendations and draft has not been able to decide on several issues. For starters, even on a meeting which needs attendance from all its members. Law minister Arun Jaitley, who has had a major say in a lot of policy making and is likely to continue to have a say, played truant earlier this week when he failed to turn up at one of the meetings.

The draft is additionally being reviewed by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci). Further the GOM?s members are also supposed to give their consent to the various clauses. Following which it will be presented to Parliament and then to a select committee for a further review.

But there are many unresolved issuess like who will blow the convergence bugle - the ministries of information technology, broadcasting or telecom? Which ministry will be the guide for convergence? Which body will be the regulator, the ombudsman or watchdog? What time frame will be set aside for setting up the Watch dog?

Three-four years ago, similar issues had stalled the Broadcasting Bill. Wonder whether the current government is seeeking a repeat act for Convergence.