Firm Hopes Store Customers Monitor Commercials--Not Tabloids--in Line : SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

If the gossip tabloids at the grocery store checkout stands aren’t enough to keep your mind occupied, perhaps you would prefer watching television.

An Irvine firm, UVC Corp., is trying to sell grocery stores on the idea of placing TV monitors at supermarket checkout stations. The monitors would display advertisements and other information for customers while they wait in line.

“This will give people something to do in line instead of reading about the two-headed alien that just gave birth to Elvis’ daughter,” said Gil Davenport, UVC’s director of marketing.

UVC is test-marketing the product at six supermarkets in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan. Davenport said the Kansas City area was chosen because it represents Middle America.

The Irvine firm plans to install its monitor systems in 22 additional stores in the Kansas City area and 17 other stores throughout the nation later this year.

“Our goal is to penetrate 10% of the 27,000 grocery stores in the United States,” Davenport said.

UVC pays the supermarket a fee for renting space in the store for its monitors. UVC then charges local advertisers for creating and displaying the ads on the monitors.

The 27-inch monitors are suspended from the ceiling. The monitors primarily will be used to show ads from local businesses but can also display information about the store or entertainment.

UVC was founded in April, 1988, to develop advertising services using “computer video compression technology.” The technology allows high-quality video images to be stored in personal computers for later broadcast over telephone lines.