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Wednesday June 14, 6:02 am Eastern
Time
Company Press Release
TBS Superstation &
HyperTV With
Livewire to Offer First Regularly
Scheduled, Enhanced TV Programming
Block
Every Wednesday Night, Three Consecutive Hours of
Enhanced TV for RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR
NOT!(R) and WCW THUNDER, Powered by
HyperTV(R)
ATLANTA and NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14,
2000-- TBS Superstation and HyperTV with Livewire today
announced that they will offer the first regularly scheduled, weekly
programming block of enhanced TV convergence programming.
TBS Superstation is cable's most-watched network, reaching 79.1
million households. HyperTV with Livewire is a joint venture
between ACTV's (Nasdaq: IATV - news) HyperTV Networks and
Liberty Livewire Corporation (Nasdaq: LWIRA - news).
Utilizing ACTV's HyperTV software, TBSsuperstation.com will
deliver three consecutive hours of synchronized, real-time
web-based activities, every Wednesday night from 8:00 PM -
11:00 PM (ET/PT), to enhance the network's airings of RIPLEY'S
BELIEVE IT OR NOT! (R) and WCW THUNDER. Additional
details regarding the launch will be announced shortly.
RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! (R), hosted by Dean Cain,
currently airs Wednesdays at 8:00 PM (ET/PT), exclusively on
TBS Superstation. Its premiere episodes rank it as basic cable's top
series for the year to date among key adult demos (excluding
sports), delivering an average of 1,772,000 adults 18-49 and
1,650,000 adults 25-54 during its first 10 episodes. When the
series premiered on Wednesday, Jan. 12, it earned a 3.3 rating and
delivered a record-breaking 2.6 million households, basic cable's
largest household audience ever for an original series premiere
(excluding sports). RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! (R) is
followed each week by TBS Superstation's signature wrestling
program, WCW THUNDER, which airs Wednesdays at 9:00 PM
(ET/PT).
``Based on our experience with past enhanced TV events,
including TBS Superstation's Cyber Bond event, we know there is
a substantial audience that wants to interact with their favorite TV
programs,'' said Constance Barkley-Lewis, senior vice president of
marketing for TBS Superstation. ``We believe that this will be a
powerful entertainment vehicle that strengthens our relationship
with our viewers, offers new opportunities to our sponsors and
advertisers, and better leverages the Web to reinforce our brand.
HyperTV with Livewire is solely focused on delivering high quality
enhanced TV content to large-scale audiences. We couldn't
imagine undertaking this exciting new programming venture with
anyone else.''
Bruce J. Crowley, president of ACTV's HyperTV Networks, said:
``We're thrilled to expand our relationship with Turner. TBS
Superstation's Wednesday night block is among the highest rated
cable programming on TV today. Both RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT
OR NOT! (R) and WCW THUNDER appeal to a targeted
demographic of viewers that are regularly creating their own
convergence experiences. We believe this will be appointment
programming for a significant audience that will offer new and
exciting opportunities for viewers, the network, its sponsors and
advertisers, while expanding the leading role of HyperTV in the
convergence marketplace.''
Bill Airy, vice president of Liberty Livewire Corporation's
Interactive Services Division, said: ``TBS Superstation is breaking
new ground with its enhanced Wednesday night primetime lineup.
Liberty Livewire Corporation is proud and pleased to be able to
support this cutting-edge effort with our state-of-the-art hosting
and distribution services.''
To participate, viewers log-on to TBSsuperstation.com, register,
and download the free HyperTV software plug-in. Viewers will
receive and be able to interact, free of charge, with exclusive
show-related Web content whose automated delivery will be
synchronized to correspond with RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR
NOT! (R) and WCW THUNDER as they air on TBS
Superstation. In addition, viewers will be able to chat online with
other viewers nationwide during the programs, and have the ability
to purchase merchandise and participate in other real-time, online
initiatives.
Viewers only need to have a television set with access to TBS
Superstation via cable or satellite, and a computer with an Internet
connection (minimum 28.8) located in the same room to enjoy the
complete HyperTV experience.
According to a survey released in June 2000 by Dataquest, a unit
of Gartner Group, 44 million individuals in the U.S. watch TV and
simultaneously surf the Web. By the beginning of 2001, the
number is projected to reach 52 million U.S. consumers, up from
27 million consumers in 1999.
HyperTV with Livewire enables TV networks, programmers and
advertisers to automatically deliver compelling interactive Web
content, Web-based advertising, e-commerce, and community chat
features that are synchronized to live or pre-recorded TV
programming (or any other video-based content). The only
requirement to experience a HyperTV event is to have an
Internet-connected computer and a TV set located in the same
room.
About TBS Superstation
TBS Superstation is the TV Haven for the Regular Guy. Turner
Broadcasting System, Inc.'s flagship entertainment network, the
Superstation reaches 79.1 million households and is cable's
most-watched network, a position it has held for 23 consecutive
years. TBS Superstation offers high-profile original movies and
series, blockbuster movies, popular series and sports, all reflecting
the attitudes, tastes, values and beliefs of the Regular Guy and the
people in his life. The Superstation's Web site is located at
TBSsuperstation.com.
About HyperTV with Livewire
HyperTV with Livewire provides turnkey convergence services,
including application hosting, web authoring services, data
management, e-commerce and other value-added services for
advertisers, television programmers, studios and networks. The
venture combines ACTV's patented convergence technologies with
Liberty Livewire Corporation's worldwide leadership position in
providing creative, post-production, and web hosting services to
the entertainment and advertising industries.
About ACTV, Inc.
ACTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: IATV - news), with headquarters in New
York City, pioneered Enhanced TV programming with its patented
HyperTV© software solution. The company also created
interactive one-to-one digital television with its proprietary One To
One TV(TM) software and programming capabilities. ACTV
offers superior, practical solutions for television programmers,
advertisers, cable operators, educators and consumers looking to
leverage the emergence of digital television and the broadband
delivery infrastructure.
ACTV has relationships with many of the dominant players in the
Internet, television and digital technology fields, including key
strategic relationships with Liberty Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: LDIG -
news), Motorola's (NYSE: MOT - news) Broadband
Communications Sector, Liberty Livewire Corporation (Nasdaq:
LWIRA - news), and OpenTV (Nasdaq and AEX: OPTV). For
more information, visit ACTV's Web site at actv.com
or hypertv.com.
About Liberty Livewire Corporation
Liberty Livewire Corporation (Nasdaq: LWIRA - news), with
headquarters in Los Angeles, provides a wide range of audio and
video post-production services to worldwide clients in the feature
film, television, and advertising industries. Liberty Livewire has
facilities located in Los Angeles, New York, London, San
Francisco, Atlanta, Singapore, Madrid, and Munich. The company
also plans to develop interactive television programming and
advertising through its joint venture with ACTV's (Nasdaq: IATV -
news) HyperTV© Networks subsidiary.
Liberty Livewire Corporation is a subsidiary of Liberty Media
Corporation (NYSE: LMG.A - news), a subsidiary of AT&T
Corporation (NYSE: T - news).
Disclaimer: This news release contains forward-looking statements
as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans,
objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and
underlying assumptions and other statements which are other than
statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to
uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and
service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic
conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, government
regulation, and other risks defined in this document and in
statements filed from time to time with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. All such forward-looking statements,
whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the
Company, are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements and
any other cautionary statements which may accompany the
forward-looking statements. In addition, the company disclaims
any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect
events or circumstances after the date hereof.
Contact:
Bratskeir & Company
Mike Rosen, 212/679-2233, ext. 213
ACTV Media Relations
mrosen@bratskeir.com
or
ACTV, Inc.
Bill Roll, 212/217-1600
wroll@actv.com
or
TBS Superstation
Kevin Little, 404/885-4378
kevin.little@turner.com
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