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Technology Stocks : IATV-ACTV Digital Convergence Software-HyperTV -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Steve Hausser who wrote (1987)	4/14/1999 6:20:00 AM
From: mike.com	Respond to of 13157

This story just hit the wires: Colorado-Based Liberty Media to Boost Interactive Television Business Apr. 14 (The Denver Post/KRTBN)--In a strong endorsement of the toddling interactive TV business, Liberty Media Group said Tuesday it will invest an additional $9 million in ACTV Inc. The move, the latest in Liberty's post-AT&T-merger buying spree, will raise the Greenwood Village-based company's total ACTV investment to $14 million. That will give Liberty, which bought into ACTV last year, an 11 percent stake in the New York-based company. Liberty also said it is getting options that would let it invest an additional $86 million in ACTV over the next five years. Liberty will hold the ACTV stock in its Internet- and interactive-TV-heavy TCI Music affiliate, whose name is changing to Liberty Digital Inc., the company said. Among other things, ACTV lets viewers add statistics and camera angles to televised sporting events, as well as summon more information through the TV set or Internet during newscasts and other programming. ACTV, which has been tested by several U.S. and Canadian cable systems, is working on a Dallas trial with Fox Sports and TCI's cable operation. ACTV and companies such as the Paul Allen-backed Wink Communications have been slow to develop because cable operators, stung by delays in rolling out digital technology, haven't had enough channel space to carry the services. There also are doubts whether interactive TV services can ever draw enough viewers to justify their $4.95-a-month-and-up prices. In March, ACTV President David Reese said his company, which has been working with some other Liberty-backed technologies, wants to become a basic cable service "to take advantage of advertising potential." That also would give cable a toy that competitors such as telephone and satellite TV companies can't offer subscribers, according to industry observers. By Bob Diddlebock -0- Visit The Denver Post Online on the World Wide Web at denverpost.com