Interactive Network, Inc.
Entertainment - Mountain View, California, United States
Interactive Network, Inc. Employees
Interactive Network, Inc. Details
In 1987, David Lockton founded Interactive Network (IN) based upon a patent received for the use of wireless push technology to control TV viewers in real-time games of skill based upon unfolding televised sports, game shows and entertainment programming. Interactive Network pioneered "two-screen television." Financed by NBC, Cablevision Systems, TCI, The Grenada Group (Great Britain), Le GroupeVideotron (Canada), United Artists, A.C. Nielsen, Gannett, Sprint and Motorola, Interactive Network developed a device similar to the Informa, the "Interactive Control Unit," which won the International Design Award idesignawards.com for best consumer product in 1990. IN went public on the NASDAQ exchange in 1991. The Company operated a subscription based, two-screen "play-along' or "In-Play" entertainment service, developing over 50 games of skill to play along with live TV sports, news, and entertainment programming for prizes. IN conducted four increasingly successful test markets from 1990 to 1995 in Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and Indianapolis. The Company pioneered many of the interactive television game formats now utilized worldwide in connection with live television programming. At the time, these were variously called, "Enhanced TV," or "Play Along TV." IN established a Charter Interactive Advertising Consortium with P&G, Chrysler, Pepsi, American Airlines, and the Ad Council (the leader in public service announcements) to develop and test the first real time interactive and lead generating two-screen TV commercials.[citation needed] In addition to pioneering its entertainment service, the Company pioneered many technological firsts, including the first field-upgradable, RAM-based mobile device, the first to use the VBI (vertical blanking interval of an FM radio signal) of the NPR TV Network, to transmit digital data to wireless devices; and one of the first companies to have a consumer web site in 1996.
