Proposals for interactive television and allied multimedia services are bursting out al over in the US, and Interactive Network Inc of New York is looking to expand its business to provide Interactive Video & Data Services in the radio spectrum just allocated by the Federal Communications Commission. The Commission approved licensing the spectrum in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Washington, Boston and San Francisco. Two ‘tentative selectees’ will be chosen by lottery in each of the 734 markets, and they will get five years to provide service to 50% of the market before they receive full licensing of the spectrum. Interactive Network plans to license one winner in each city as a local market affiliate for its interactive television entertainment system. General Electric Co’s NBC and Cablevision Systems Corp have agreed to affiliate with Interactive on a local basis if either wins in the lottery. Tribune Co and Gannett Co will work with Interactive and the winners to develop information services in their home markets, and IBM Corp’s Networking Systems Services division will work with Interactive on a plan to use its US-wide network to support lottery winners.
