Verizon FiOS

Verizon has launched a Spend Smart interactive TV coupon widget in its FiOS TV Widget Bazaar Applications Marketplace as part of a cross-platform initiative with electronic and mobile couponing specialist, Cellfire, that also sees it offering free Spend Smart coupons on its Wireless and Internet services. According to the company, Cellfire's Spend Smart coupons cover a wide range of products and can be redeemed at over 4,000 locations of more than 20 national grocery chains, including ShopRite, Safeway and Kroger. Coupon brands and products rotate every two weeks, the company says, with more than $25 in monthly grocery discounts available at any given time.

Because the [itvt] editorial team is busy working on The TV of Tomorrow Show (March 3rd-4th in San Francisco) and on our new EBIF Intensive event (March 5th in San Francisco), we will be covering most stories in summary/round-up form over the next few weeks. Here is a round-up of recent news in various categories:

Because the [itvt] editorial team is busy working on The TV of Tomorrow Show (March 3rd-4th in San Francisco) and on our new EBIF Intensive event (March 5th in San Francisco), we are covering a number of stories in this issue in summary form:

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) last week announced the launch of a new mobile phone application that will initially be available for iPhone/iPod touch, BlackBerry and Android handheld devices, and that the company says will subsequently support "dozens" of additional handhelds. "The TCM mobile device application is the ultimate mobile experience for classic film fans and is an important part of our strategy to solidify TCM's position as a lifestyle brand," Dennis Adamovich, TCM's SVP of brand and digital activation, said in a prepared statement.

In an interview posted on a Verizon blog, Wednesday, Verizon FiOS TV executive, Maitreyi Krishnaswamy, provided some insight into the service's interactive TV widget plans for 2010.

According to Krishnaswamy, the service will roll out more widgets for multicultural audiences, more sports widgets, a wider choice of widgetized games titles, and various program-specific widgets, including widgets for reality TV shows and other series.

Just a few days after announcing a similar deal with the US's third-largest cable operator, Cox Communications (see the article published on itvt.com, January 11th), Epix--a multiplatform premium programming service which is a joint venture between Viacom, its Paramount Pictures arm, MGM and Lionsgate and which has exclusive access to Paramount, Paramount Vantage MTV and Nickelodeon movies released theatrically on or after January 1st, 2008, and to MGM, United Artists and Lionsgate titles released theatrically on or after January 1st, 2009--has a

Cable MSO, Charter Communications, has launched an "on-demand reminder service" that sends customers text or email reminders, alerting them to new movie releases, events and premieres available on its VOD platform. Customers can register to receive the reminders, which are based on both title and category searches, at http://www.charter.net/reminders.

Video search specialist, TV Genius, announced last week that UK commercial terrestrial broadcaster, ITV, has selected its Content Discovery Platform to power a personalized recommendation feature on a new ITV Player app for Facebook. According to the company, the app, which is called "ITV Favourites" and which is available now, will "promote Christmas and New Year scheduling, as well as into 2010," through recommendations of content available via the ITV Player online catch-up service; and will also remind users of upcoming shows that might be of interest to them.

In a posting on a corporate blog, Wednesday, Verizon's director of external communications, Bobbi Henson, announced that the company's FiOS TV service has replaced its existing Headline News interactive TV widget with a new widget featuring content from the Associated Press (AP).

Verizon announced Monday that it has launched an interactive TV version of its In-Home Agent customer self-help tool on its FiOS TV platform (note: a PC version of the tool was launched this summer--see the article published on itvt.com, August 25th). According to the company, the new tool uses "the advanced FiOS network" to diagnose issues, report back to customers, and then quickly and automatically fix most problems.

Comcast announced Monday that it will today (Tuesday) launch an HD VOD collection showcasing music videos, biographical footage and live performances from Shakira, thanks to an exclusive partnership with the Colombian singer (note: the MSO also recently launched a similar exclusive HD VOD collection featuring singer, Taylor Swift--see the article published on itvt.com, December 3rd).

Verizon announced last week that it has launched a Caller ID on TV application on its FiOS TV platform (note: the company comes relatively late to the caller ID on TV game: other pay-TV operators that offer such applications include AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV, DISH Network, Rogers and Time Warner Cable). The service, which is initially available to FiOS TV subscribers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Texas, is offered at no extra charge. It presents subscribers with information on incoming calls that appears for several seconds in the corner of their TV screen: subscribers can then decide whether they want to pause the program they are watching and answer the call, or continue watching TV and let the call go to their voicemail.

Verizon announced Wednesday that it has launched an NBA League Pass interactive TV widget on its FiOS TV service. According to the company, the free widget allows viewers to order NBA League Pass, an NBA subscription package that provides up to 40 out-of-market live NBA games per week, via their remote control; and also provides them with instant access to headline news, player reports, game-time alerts and more.

In a corporate blog posting, Wednesday, Verizon's director of external communications, Bobbi Henson, announced that the company has partnered with home shopping network, HSN, to create a new widget version of the latter's Shop by Remote interactive TV application for the Verizon FiOS TV platform (note: Comcast has just announced the national roll-out of an EBIF version of Shop by Remote--see the article in this issue). The new widget will feature a "deal of the day" exclusively for FiOS TV customers, Henson said.

Verizon said Tuesday that it has rolled out various new interactive TV features and navigational shortcuts to customers of its FiOS TV service in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as part of an upgrade of its FiOS TV Interactive Media Guide (IMG). The new features, which are offered at no additional charge, have been available on Verizon systems in California and Texas for some time now, and Verizon says that it will roll them out in all its other FiOS TV markets over the next few months.