"Friday January 14, 6:00 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Corporate Profile for ACTV, Inc., dated January 14, 2000
(BUSINESS WIRE)--The following Corporate Profile is available for inclusion in your files. News releases for this client are distributed by Business Wire and also become part of the leading databases and on-line services, including all of the leading Internet-based services.
Published Date: January 14, 2000
Company Name: ACTV, Inc.
Address: 1270 Avenue of the Americas
Rockefeller Center, Suite 2401
New York, NY 10020
Main Telephone
Number: 212/217-1600
Internet Home
Page Address
(URL): actv.com
hypertv.com
Chairman and
Chief Executive
Officer: William C. Samuels
Chief Financial
Officer: Christopher Cline
Investor Relations
Contact: Ted O'Donnell, VP-Finance
Business number: 212/217-1600
Media Relations
Contact: Mike Rosen
Business number: 212/679-2233, ext. 213
E-mail address: mrosen@bratskeir.com
Company Description: ACTV, Inc. (NASDAQ: IATV - news), a leading digital media company, has developed patented and proprietary software-based technologies called HyperTV© and ``Individualized Television.' ACTV uses these patented and proprietary technologies to create unique programming for digital television and for TV/Internet convergence applications.
HyperTV enhances standard TV content with information, interactivity and chat functionality delivered through the Internet. HyperTV 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 correspond with a live or pre-recorded TV program. HyperTV also has a database capability that captures permission-based marketing information. With HyperTV, TV programmers can more effectively leverage the Web to extend their brand identity and further differentiate their program offerings.
ACTV's ``Individualized Television' enables TV programmers and advertisers to create individualized programming for digital television. Along with General Instrument Corporation (which recently merged with Motorola), ACTV has created Digital ADCO, Inc., a subsidiary of ACTV, Inc., to develop and introduce a comprehensive end-to-end system for delivering targeted, addressable advertising utilizing ACTV's ``Individualized Television' capabilities. By allowing advertisers to send commercials that reach target audiences, ACTV believes that Digital ADCO will dramatically improve the efficiency of television advertising.
In addition, ACTV is a partner with Liberty Media in a joint venture, LMC IATV Events, LLC, that will license and produce ``Individualized' national and/or international marquee pay-per-view television events, including sports, musical, theatrical and news programming. This programming will be distributed by Viewer's Choice (now called iNDEMAND), the leading pay-per-view network.
ACTV's goal is to establish HyperTV and ``Individualized Television' as industry standards. To this end, the Company has built key strategic relationships with industry leaders, including:
Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: LMG.A - news, LMG.B - news) / Liberty
Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: LDIG - news), ACTV's largest shareholder and
a co-venturer;
General Instrument Corporation (NYSE: GIC - news), a shareholder
and a co-investor;
iNDEMAND (formerly Viewer's Choice, LLC), the nation's
leading pay-per-view network;
FOX Sports Net, the first national supplier of regional
sports programming;
The Box Music Network, part of Viacom's MTV Networks.
ACTV's long-term objective is to be a leader in the market for the integration of TV and Internet content delivered to viewers through a single device by providing powerful programming tools for TV networks, advertisers, cable networks and DBS through the integration of Individualized Television with HyperTV products and services.
In addition to headquarters in New York City, ACTV has offices inside AT&T BIS' National Digital Television Center-Los Angeles, and in Dallas and Houston, Texas.
HYPERTV©
HyperTV is a patented process that enhances a TV program or advertisement with related and synchronized content delivered through the Internet. HyperTV works by embedding a stream of Web page addresses into the video or audio signal or by transmitting the addresses directly over the Internet to the user's computer. The Web content is synchronized to what is being shown on a particular television channel. HyperTV generates revenues from software licensing and program hosting fees, on-line advertising sales, e-commerce applications, event sponsorship, data management and content creation fees. ACTV believes HyperTV has potential applications for virtually all forms of TV programming and advertising. For instance, with HyperTV:
a music video network can send its viewers song lyrics, band
member biographies or trivia through the Internet in sync with
its television content;
a network televising a movie can sell banner advertisements on
the Internet and generate revenues from the sale of movie-related
merchandise, while giving viewers a compelling new perspective on
the movie with original synchronized Web content and activities;
a HyperTV-enhanced automobile advertisement can deliver detailed
information from the manufacturer's Website or link to local
dealer Website where viewers can schedule test-drives.
Initially, HyperTV is offering a ``two-screen' solution for TV/Internet convergence, serving the growing number of TV viewers who simultaneously use the Internet to complement and enhance their TV viewing experiences. Over half of all personal computers, or approximately 22.6 million, are in the same room as a television, and of those, nearly all, or about 21.8 million, use the television and personal computer simultaneously at least some of the time, according to Media Metrix. As more sophisticated and powerful digital set-top box technology proliferates, and as more cable operators offer high-speed Internet access, ACTV anticipates that viewers will enjoy a HyperTV experience with both video and Internet content and functionality delivered simultaneously to their TV.
HyperTV is a software-based system. The Company offers free HyperTV software through plug-in downloads from the official HyperTV Website at HYPERLINK hypertv.com hypertv.com and via links from HyperTV partner Websites. ACTV markets HyperTV to TV networks and other TV content and advertising producers as a turnkey system consisting of user software, Web content creation software and creative services, database management and analysis and program hosting. ACTV has already built its first program hosting facility capable of delivering HyperTV-enhanced content to mass audiences and will scale up its capacity as demand increases.
Turner Entertainment Group's TBS Superstation enhanced more than 50 hours of programming with HyperTV during its ``15 DAYS OF 007 / CYBERBOND' movie festival in December 1999. Turner's TNT network used HyperTV to enhance its special concert event, ONE LOVE: THE BOB MARLEY ALL-STAR TRIBUTE. On December 31, 1999, The Box Music Network, an MTV Networks company, launched BOX FUSION -- a fully-programmed Web-based service that integrates HyperTV with The Box's 24-hour-a-day interactive music television programming. From January 1 through February 29, 2000, New Line Television will enhance the pay-per-view airings of AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME with a feature-length HyperTV experience. Showtime Online Inc. has also reached an agreement for HyperTV programming for Showtime Network's STARGATE telecasts.
ACTV's eSchool© Online is a leading on-line learning application in the K-12 environment today. eSchool enables on-line learning and the development of dynamic learning communities by using ACTV's HyperTV software to integrate educational video with the automatic delivery of complementary Web material, collaborative functionality and embedded assessment.
HyperTV Networks, a subsidiary of ACTV, Inc., is an application and content service provider in the SchoolTone Alliance Program, which is led by Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW - news).
INDIVIDUALIZED TELEVISION
``Individualized Television' is a patented process for creating interactive and instantly customized TV content and advertising in response to viewer remote control entries or to stored demographic information. Individualized Television remembers a viewer's inputs throughout a program and can later deliver individually-tailored content to the viewer based on those inputs. ACTV creates ``Individualized Television' programming by simultaneously sending the viewer multiple television signals, related in time and content, and switching among those signals without a visually perceptible delay. With ``Individualized Television,' the viewer experiences the video, audio and graphics of a single fluid programming stream, while the programming on the other signals remains transparent. Using a standard digital set-top box and remote control, a viewer can switch between the regular network programming feed and a multitude of personal options and features. ACTV's patented software is integrated into the digital set-tops of leading manufacturers, including General Instrument, Scientific-Atlanta and Pioneer Digital Technologies.
ACTV, Liberty Digital and iNDEMAND (formerly Viewer's Choice) have joined forces to create a powerful new cable and satellite television pay-per-view programming alliance utilizing ACTV's technology. ACTV and FOX are developing regional sports programming applications utilizing ACTV's technology.
ACTV and General Instrument have created Digital ADCO, Inc. for the development and introduction of a comprehensive end-to-end system to allow digital cable, satellite and broadcast systems to offer targeted advertising. By allowing advertisers to send commercials that reach target audiences, ACTV believes that Digital ADCO will improve dramatically the efficiency of television advertising.
ACTV expects ``Individualized Television' to generate revenues from subscriber fees, advertising sales and sales of software and services related to targeted advertising.
ACTV believes Individualized Television is a core breakthrough for TV programming and advertising. For example:
the viewer of a national or international pay-per-view sporting
event or of a regional sports telecast can select from features
such as a different view of the action, highlight packages,
statistics or instant replays on demand;
a car commercial can ask viewers to identify the models that most
interest them and, based upon their answers, provide
individualized information about the identified models;
neighbors watching the same TV program can see entirely different
advertisements based upon demographic information stored in their
respective set-top boxes;
and a child viewing a program can engage a favorite television
character in what seems to be a one-on-one dialogue.
ACTV is initially targeting Individualized Television, which is software-based, for distribution through digital cable systems. To receive Individualized Television, all the cable subscriber needs is a digital set-top box with ACTV's software download.
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Contact:
Bratskeir & Company (ACTV Public Relations)"
biz.yahoo.com
Bill |
