LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16, 2001 — CBS Television and Microsoft WebTV Networks, Inc., today announced that
“The 43rd Annual GRAMMY Awards® ” will be presented with interactive content on the Microsoft® WebTV® Plus service. This is the first time in the history of the GRAMMYs that the broadcast has been produced interactively.
“The 43rd Annual GRAMMY Awards® ”
will air live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 21 from 8 to 11 p.m. EST/PST.
“The GRAMMY Awards® is the perfect program for interactive television,”
said David Katz, vice president, Strategic Planning and Interactive Ventures, CBS Entertainment.
“Music fans are passionate about the performers and personalities they follow. Interactive TV will enhance their viewing experience by offering fans access to pertinent and unique additional information.”
“We’re thrilled to make interactive television available on the GRAMMYs, one of the biggest shows in television during the year,”
said Bruce Leak, president of Microsoft WebTV Networks.
“Working with CBS gives us the opportunity to explore a whole new area of programming.”
The GRAMMY® interactive content will be available throughout the broadcast. Features include this year’s nominees and last year’s winners for all categories presented on the show, biographies and background information on the GRAMMY® performers, the history of the GRAMMY Awards® , and live polling and trivia questions about events and performers in the telecast.
Microsoft and CBS have teamed up to provide a broad slate of new interactive television programming this season. CBS launched this interactive venture with its broadcast of NCAA college football this past fall. In addition,
“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” became the first dramatic series in the history of television to be interactive through WebTV Plus. In March, NCAA college basketball will have interactive content available through WebTV Plus and Microsoft’s new UltimateTV® service.
About CBS
CBS Television is comprised of the CBS Television Network — with more than 200 owned and affiliated stations reaching virtually every television home in the United States — the network’s programming arms CBS Entertainment, CBS News and CBS Sports, and CBS Enterprises, a global leader in distribution.
About WebTV Networks
WebTV Networks, Inc., is a leading provider of enhanced TV services using Internet and digital technologies. WebTV Networks offers a range of enhanced TV services for set-top boxes, satellite products and other TV-related devices. Today, these services include the WebTV Classic Internet service, the WebTV Plus interactive service and WebTV Personal TV service. WebTV Networks owns and operates a network of TV services and provides enabling software and hardware reference designs to consumer electronics manufacturers.
WebTV Networks, based in Mountain View, Calif., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. Microsoft incorporates WebTV technologies in the Microsoft TV software platform, which it licenses to television network operators worldwide.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
GRAMMY and GRAMMY Awards are registered trademarks of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Inc.
Microsoft, WebTV and UltimateTV are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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