America’s Talking, NBC’s soon-to-be-launched all-talk cable network and the Prodigy Services Co joint venture of IBM Corp and Seers, Roebuck & Co, have joined forces to produce the first fully interactive television network. Prodigy will introduce live chat shows during which viewers can interact with talk show hosts and each other in real time. America’s […]
America’s Talking, NBC’s soon-to-be-launched all-talk cable network and the Prodigy Services Co joint venture of IBM Corp and Seers, Roebuck & Co, have joined forces to produce the first fully interactive television network. Prodigy will introduce live chat shows during which viewers can interact with talk show hosts and each other in real time. America’s Talking will be a 24 hour a day network that features 12 live chat shows that will incorporate on-line bulletin boards, electronic mail, polling and chat features into all programmes. Viewers will have 14 hours of live, interactive talk programming focusing on information, entertainment and news shows. Experts and celebrities will join viewers each day, creating a national conversation. As Prodigy Chat expands, its distributed network will enable the service to create special auditoria, arenas and stadiums that can hold audiences of up to 20,000 viewers. The largest auditoria in the on-line industry hold 500 at the moment. Viewers will also be able to participate in polls written by the producers, order transcripts on line and check programme scheduling; and they will be able to write to their favourite shows through Prodigy. Talk show hosts can respond on air to issues raised on the bulletin boards, polls and chat sessions, the partners promise.
