Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 13, 1990 TAG: 9007130031
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium
CNN announced Thursday the first experiment in "interactive news" by a national network - a program similar to ones by smaller stations where viewers vote on whether to see "Godzilla" or "Planet of the Apes" as the late-night movie.
The experiment begins July 23 on CNN's "Newsnight," an hour-long newscast at midnight. The choices will involve secondary news or features.
Viewers will see a summary of headlines at the beginning of the show and, as anchors read the day's top news, dial a 900 telephone number to vote on which of the stories they'd like to see. The stories that get the most votes, which cost 95 cents per call, will be shown.
CNN officials emphasize that viewers won't be dictating news value but will tell the network what areas outside of breaking news most interest them.
"We're not going to let viewers decide the editorial policy of CNN," said spokesman John Bianchi. "A lot of stuff does not make it on the air that we do in fact cover. This is a way to get more of the stuff on the air that we might not have made the decision on initially."
Bianchi said CNN, which had trouble filling all its newscasts when it was started by media mogul Ted Turner in 1980, just doesn't have enough time to air all the stories it would like to. So viewers - in 54 million U.S. households and 90 countries - are being asked to let producers know their preferences.
At least one of CNN's network competitors reacted with surprise to the announcement. Asked if the concept would spread to the Big Three networks, CBS spokesman Tom Goodman said, "It doesn't sound like something we'd get involved in."
by CNB