Looking to create a digital box office, Cablevision Systems is launching the first commerce applications on its digital platform. This month Cablevision is launching two new channels, Totally Hollywood TV and Totally Broadway TV. The channels allow viewers to take advantage of video-on-demand technology to see film trailers and hear interviews with their favorite actors and actresses and interactive technology to get movie listings and order tickets.

Mitch Rubenstein, CEO of Hollywood Media Corp., which created the channels and is the nation's largest provider of movie show time data, says Cablevision is just the first major MSO it is working with.

?We are close to done deals with several other top-ten MSOs,? said Rubenstein, who helped build the Sci Fi Channel before it was sold to USA Networks. He plans to roll out Totally Hollywood TV on an operator-by-operator basis and hopes to have 1.5 million to 2 million subscribers by the end of the year.

Though terms of the deal were not disclosed, Rubenstein said, ?We're not making any upfront payments to Cablevision.?

The channel will get a piece of the service charge tacked on to ticket orders made through it ? ticket buying will be available on systems with headends that can support the service ? but Rubenstein said the channel will generate most of its revenue from advertising.

He added that Totally Hollywood TV advertisers already include a national bank based in New York, a large pet food company and a major credit card company. The pet food company's campaign, which features celebrities and their pets, neatly ties into the channel.

Cablevision has been rolling out its iO Interactive Optimum digital cable service since last year, slowly working out the kinks in the system. The service offers additional channels, video-on-demand and interactive services, but like most operators, Cablevision continues to search for killer apps that will compel subscribers to upgrade from their current analog service to the pricier digital.

?These services add value to iO by expanding our enhanced television offering with rich and unique programming and functionality,? a Cablevision spokesman said.

The service has been in test in a handful of Cablevision homes, Rubenstein said. The channel gives viewers a choice of listing movies by title or theaters. (Cablevision owns a theater chain, but Rubenstein said it gets no preferential treatment on the service.) So far, he said, viewers are most interested in seeing video of movie previews and interviews and checking movie show times. He said a small percentage were ordering tickets, but that should rise as the service gets more marketing support.

Rubenstein said Cablevision was a logical operator to launch Totally Broadway TV because its subscribers are in the New York area. Outside New York isn't likely to be a major market. ?It's just very classy,? he said. The Broadway channel will offer coverage of rehearsals and interviews with theatergoers as well as access to all Broadway shows and seating charts for each theater. Hollywood Media owns the largest wholesaler of Broadway tickets, Theater Direct, which has an 8% market share. ?We're expecting with just the Cablevision distribution alone to move that market share up quite a bit.?

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