Cablevision Will Offer Interactive TV

Whether you’re ready or not, the interactive TV business is coming to Ventura County.

Ventura County Cablevision, which has 90,000 household subscribers, about 70,000 of them in the county, expects to offer interactive programming in the second quarter of next year.

In an arrangement with ACTV Inc., a New York firm, and Prime Ticket Network, the cable company will offer sports, educational and entertainment programming that allows viewers to choose camera angles, take tests and play cards, among other things.

Richard N. Yelen, Southern California marketing director for Cablevision’s parent, Western Communications, said he doesn’t know how much subscribers will be charged for the service. “One of the big benefits will be for advertisers,” he said. “Viewers will be able to specify what subjects they want to see covered in commercials, so the commercials will be more effective than in the past.”