I had that same problem and I installed a popup blocker and it worked
for the AIM client also.I am running the free version of Pop-Up
Stopper from www.panicware.com. 


On Fri, 5 Dec 2003 15:16:03 -0500, "TJ" <TJ@none.not> wrote:

>Sorry if I'm not asking in the correct places but I can't find my answer via
>Google, nor can I find a newsgroup dedicated to AIM on Giganews...  Anyway;
>
>Recently AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) has been including audio (mostly from
>movie
>trailers) with the advertisements at the top of the Buddy List.
>
>I'm at my wits end.
>
>I can stop the news ticker, and the stock ticker, but I
>can't seem to figure out how to stop the audio portion of these
>advertisemnets.
>
>Honestly, I don't care if they want to run video up there.  I never look at
>it anyway.  But the audio has GOT to GO!
>
>Calling AOL is no help.  The following is a transcript from a call I made
>about a
>week ago:
>
>{phone menu}
>{transfer}
>{transfer}
>{transfer}
>
>Finally I get a 'live one' on the line who's name is something I can't even
>pronounce, let alone spell, and I pose my query;
>
>The response?  "AOL and AIM are different.  There is nothing AOL can do
>about it.  You need to contact AIM."
>
>So I say, "That's kinda funny.  AIM has the acronym AOL in it.  It's called
>AOL-Instant-Messenger, right?  How is it different?"
>
>The response?  "I'm not sure."
>
>So I say, "Can you give me a contact number for AIM?"
>
>The response?  "AOL is different than AOL Instant Messenger."
>
>So I say, "Yes, so you've said.  Can you give me a contact number for AIM?"
>
>{pause}
>
>The response?  "I'm sorry sir, but I don't have that information available."
>
>So I say, "That's OK.  You've done enough."
>
>The response?  "Thank you for calling AOL.  Is there anything else I can
>help ....
>
>So I say, {CLICK}
>
>NOW what am I gonna do to stop AOL from jamming sounds down my throat that I
>never asked for, and have NO (obvious) WAY of turning off?
>
>Ahh.  I know.  I'll go to the AIM page www.aim.com.  SURELY there will be
>assistance, or a contact number there!
>
>WRONG!
>
>The only "contact" I see listed leads to a "Bug Report".
>
>Fine.  That's the way you want it?  That's the way you get it.
>
>So each and every day, for a nearly a month, I have submitted a bug report
>to AIM
>after reading my morning email.  In each and every instance I give accurate
>information, and chose "sound" from the drop-down menu form.  And because
>the problem is (of course) not listed, I use the text boxes, "Describe the
>Problem" and "Steps needed to Recreate the Problem".
>
>Under "Describe" I write;  "I'm hearing movie trailers I never asked to
>hear, and it distracts from my normal means of communication with others."
>
>Under "Steps" I write; "Launch AIM"
>
>No joy.
>
>I *MUST* be missing something.  Is there SOME simpler way to make it stop?
>
>
>
>
>
>