ROGERS FLIPS SWITCH ON ENHANCED TV
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Rogers Cable Inc. unveiled a new service for digital cable subscribers yesterday called Enhanced Television. The service, which is free to subscribers, allows viewers to interact with certain programs and commercials. By clicking an icon in the corner of the screen, viewers can access additional information such as news, sports or weather, or make a purchase or request information about a product on display. "This is the beginning of a new era of interactive television," said Rogers Cable president John Tory. "It opens up a world of information and shopping possibilities for our digital cable customers." The technology was developed by Wink Communications Inc. of Alameda, CA. For the present, only U.S. channels CNN, CNN Headline News and CNBC make use of the enhanced option 24 hours a day. Certain specific programs from TBS, NBC, CBS and FOX also have enhancements. Rogers hopes to offer enhanced Canadian programming by the end of the year from CHUM Television, CFMT Television and Sportsnet. "With Enhanced TV, not only will we have opportunities for even greater communication with our viewers, we'll be providing advertisers with new ways to reach their consumers," said Jay Switzer, president of CHUM Television. Molson Canada and L'Oréal Canada have signed on as the service's first interactive advertisers. Enhanced ads will also be aired by various Rogers companies including Rogers AT&T Wireless and Rogers@Home, as well as the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Phantoms.