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Microcap & Penny Stocks : IATV - ACTV Interactive Television -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: eric larson who wrote (1827)3/18/1998 11:51:00 PM
From: art slott  Respond to of 4748
 
Eric, all great story. I totally disagree with the dummy that said that it wasn't complicated enough(my words). Notice its in the Top Stories section.

Fox Sports Plus WE ARE THERE

TOP STORIES

NASD, Amex boards to pursue pact
Key Lazard partner jumps to Goldman
Rockwell warns of steep profit drop
Custom-viewing from ACTV
Wall Street's bulls aren't flinching
Nike comes untied: low earnings, losses and more than 1,600 layoffs
U.S. growth strong despite Asia
Microsoft lobbying costs soar
Cronies in the Indonesian Cabinet
ITT Industries may sell some auto units
Wall Street Journal Highlights



To: eric larson who wrote (1827)3/18/1998 11:59:00 PM
From: art slott  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 4748
 
We are on the Front Page!

msnbc.com



To: eric larson who wrote (1827)3/19/1998 12:06:00 AM
From: Jim Mulis  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 4748
 
Eric,
Nice post. Generally good article. I think that there was a real effort to make it balanced.
I have to take exception to the unidentified Silicon Valley executive who wondered whether the "internet generation" would like this product. Get Real! If people like sports they will love this product! We all know that. Would this guy rather have some dorky web page in the corner of his tv screen? I don't think so.
One other point. A new study to be presented at the California show indicates that this is not a price-sensitive issue. A majority of people with family incomes of less than $40,000/year said that they would pay $10 extra a month for interactive services like this.--Jim



To: eric larson who wrote (1827)3/19/1998 9:51:00 AM
From: ed doell  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 4748
 
Looks like the MMs are slow to report. Makes it tough to get a glimpse of what's going on real time. They like it like that.

Only on sub-$5, and small caps, and bulletin board stocks can they get away with slow reports.

Ed



To: eric larson who wrote (1827)3/20/1998 10:45:00 AM
From: eric larson  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 4748
 
"Subscriber Penetration Increases 700 Percent When Interactive
Information Services are Included in Digital Cable Tiers"

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 1998--

Core Content Package Of 8 - 12 Bundled Interactive Services Spur
Consumer Acceptance According To BHC Survey

An extensive research study which polled cable subscribers from leading MSOs including TCI, Time Warner, Comcast, Media One, Adelphia and Cablevision Systems among others, and covering a broad spectrum of geographically diverse cable systems nationwide, has indicated that a Core Content Package of 8 - 12 bundled interactive services - similar to those currently offered by the Interactive Channel - will be essential to obtaining deep customer acceptance for the new tiers of digital cable television services. Operators are currently proposing digital tiered services to be offered via the new digital set-top boxes currently being deployed.

Respondents who indicated an intent to purchase digital services, soared over 700 percent, from eight to 59 percent when offered a digital service tier which included a bundle of interactive services. Unveiled at the CTAM Digital & Pay-Per-View conference in Los Angeles on March 19, the study was conducted by BHC Consulting of Oakland, California for the Digital Applications Consortium (DAC) which includes Source Media's (NASDAQ: SRCM) Interactive Channel , General Instrument Corporation (NYSE: GIC), TCI's HITS (NASDAQ: TCOMA/B) and Scientific Atlanta's (NYSE: SSA) PowerTV...

full article: newsalert.com



To: eric larson who wrote (1827)3/24/1998 3:26:00 AM
From: eric larson  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 4748
 
Comments by and about ACTV in following 3/16/98 and 2/9/98 articles:

"Interactive Remains on Back Burner for Ops"
By R. THOMAS UMSTEAD

204.243.31.23

The viability of interactive services in a digitally enhanced world is still a quandary for operators...

..."I think that interactive services have a place, with or without digital -- particularly with the success of the Internet," said Phil Laxar, vice president of programming for Jones Intercable Inc. "But the products that I've seen are not well-developed, and we have a lot of other things on our agenda right now."

Yet a new study on digital interactive technology conducted by California-based BHC Consulting, to be unveiled this week at CTAM's Digital & Pay-Per-View Conference, shows that a significant portion of subscribers have an interest in interactive services.

Obtained by Multichannel News, the survey -- commissioned by General Instrument Corp., Tele-Communications Inc.'s Headend in the Sky service, PowerTV Inc. and Interactive Channel -- showed that an estimated 63 percent of polled consumers are either definitely or somewhat interested in the concept of interactive services. The survey concluded that interactive services have a market potential of about 23 percent of cable households...

...Operators can also be aggressive in pricing interactive packages, according to the survey. Limiting the monthly price to between $5.99 and $8.99 apparently has minimal impact on the overall consumer appeal...

...Another top 10 operator who requested anonymity said interactive services, along with cable modems, represent the industry's second marketing and promotional push once the boxes are rolled out in a significant number of homes.

"How can you sell something that no one's ever used before? People can identify with HBO [Home Box Office] or PPV, but most have never heard of Interactive Channel," the executive said.

But Dave Alworth, executive vice president of entertainment at ACTV, said operator reluctance is based on their unfamiliarity with the product. ACTV, which recently signed an affiliate agreement with TCI for distribution in the MSO's Dallas/Houston market, provides enhanced information for live sports programming, including different camera angles and player stats.

"[PPV and premium] channels are more in their plans because these are the channels that have been offered to them, and that they're more familiar with," Alworth said. "Once we've launched the services in more regions, MSOs will begin to take a closer look and realize that consumers are really interested in the product."

"We're after the customers who think that they want more information, but who don't want to dial into the personal computer to get it," Oliver added. "There is a defined customer out there."

-----
ACTV Will Go Interactive in Dallas
By R. THOMAS UMSTEAD

204.243.31.23

The viability of interactive sports television will finally get a rigorous consumer test in the Dallas/Houston area, when Tele-Communications Inc. debuts ACTV Inc. as part of its digital rollout there.

ACTV will offer four different interactive settings for Fox Sports Southwest's professional-team telecasts -- as well as some local college games and other live programming -- to TCI's 425,000 area subscribers, once digital boxes are deployed, said David Reece, president of ACTV Entertainment...

While ACTV would not reveal specific numbers, Reece said its California beta-test proved that the service is viable and attractive to fans. Although he declined to reveal ACTV's overall penetration projections, Reece said the network would be 'ecstatic' if it could net 10 percent of TCI's digital households.

---------
Comment from Dick Baron in recent Conference Call re penetration rates:

"...May I add one little point: HSE was originally a pay service, offered at $9.95 Our penetration before we went to basic was about 15%. If our network achieves 15% even -- and we should do more than that -- then this will be very successful."