European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 06, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Trends Cable to says go ahead touch that dial ant to follow a pro around the Golf course without leaving the living room How about joining in a game show from your easy chair television watchers in some southwestern Massachusetts households Are doing just that As part of a National test of new interactive Tele vision technology. It gets the Couch potato a half step up off the Couch says Brian Lambert general Man Ager of Continental Cablevision which is beaming the test program to 300 subscribers in the Springfield area As part of an eight week test. The development is part of Long promised changes for television. We keep hoping for these things. I think this is one of the neater presentations i be seen frankly said Wendell Bailey vice president for science and technology at the National Cable television association. Interactive television has been around for some time starting with a two Way television Experiment Warner amex Cable communications inc. Tested in Ohio in 1981. What makes the Spring Field tests different is the level of technological reliability and viewer participation. Being Able to manipulate that television to be the director to be Able to select camera an Gles or answer questions or respond to certain criteria really adds a whole new dimension to watching television says Lambert. The test system developed by act of Domestic corp. Of new York is sort of multiple Choice to according to Gary Arlen publisher of the Trade newsletter. Interactivity report. Act options Are installed through a smart Box which is a Little larger than the regular Cable converter Box. The Cost of the service probably would run about $ 10 a month. During the broadcast of a live Golf tournament late last month act viewers were Able to pick whom they wanted to follow around the course choosing from a list flashed up before play begins. Then during the broadcast the viewer can switch at any time to the camera trained on that player. Viewers also were Able to punch up instant replays and statistical information on selected players. During another part of the test viewers at Home watching a game show were Able to give their own answers to questions. A Correct answer brought congratulations from the Host. When the viewer was wrong the Host commiserated. Whether act becomes a regular fixture will depend on whether sponsors can be persuaded there is consumer demand for interactive television Cable officials say. If act succeeds it will probably mean Cable television will take another bite out of the the major networks audience shares which the networks say fell 4 percent last season. And the falloff in daytime is even More dra table to super stations m Wawor new York win Chicago 29 millions of subscribers in 1989 Pix new York 19.9 Kola los Angeles sources Chicago j 4.9 Tribune channels Ktut Dallas magazinei3.6 Krten Ijar Ophic Matic Between february 1989 and february 1990, viewing dropped 9 percent Overall and 13 percent among women in the key age group of 18 to 49. Ten years ago the networks had 90 percent of the nation s viewers they now have 65 per cent. During that time the percentage of Homes with Cable television increased from 20 percent to 57 percent. But network officials refuse to blame the entire drop to the Rise of Cable. One researcher claims the largest amount of that loss is from a decline in Homes using television not from Cable and other forms of Competition. Compiled from wire reports. We warmer Armer weather Means ice Cream and at Baskin Robbins that most often Means Vanilla. Plain old Vanilla is the flavor most favor when buying ice Cream at one of the 53 franchises licensed through cafes in West Germany Italy Belgium Greece Turkey and the United kingdom. Some 132,000 3-gallon tubs or 6,430,000 scoops for those not counting calories Are sold annually. What Are the runner up favourites chocolate and pralines and Cream lick All the rest. May 6,1990 sunday Page