TELEMEDIA TO BRING ELECTRONIC TV GUIDE HERE
By Adnews Staff
Telemedia Communications of Toronto has teamed up with Gemstar International Group Ltd. of California to co-market the TV Guide Plus+ system in Canada. The system is an interactive on-screen TV listing that will be built into new TVs and VCRs. As soon as the TV is turned on, the TV guide appears on the screen. Users will be able to scroll the listing to see what's on, and they will be able to search it according to categories such as movies and sports. Telemedia, which publishes the print version of TV Guide in Canada, will provide the TV listings for TV Guide+, and will promote the service in its magazines. The ads will be created in-house by Gemstar. In addition, the companies that manufacture the TVs and VCRs will be responsible for promoting their specially equipped TVs and VCRs. So far, consumer electronics companies making the products are Magnavox, JVC, Zenith, Sony, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Sanyo, Sharp and Hitachi. The products will begin hitting the North American market in the fourth quarter of the year. Telemedia publishes 15 consumer magazines in Canada and the U.S. It also has 24 radio stations in Quebec and Ontario.