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03/31/2005 Archived Entry: "Big Brother monitors your cable or satellite TV"

NOW, DOESN'T THIS JUST MAKE YOU FEEL SPECIAL?

DAVID DOWNEY, CEO, INVIDI: Well, with the Invidi solution, we're the Holy Grail for marketers and advertisers. We have the ability to combine the power of television with direct mail and send television commercials to individual television sets based upon age, sex, income, geography and ethnicity.

CAVUTO: But how do you know who's watching?

DOWNEY: Well, we have the ability to measure the click stream data that's generated by your remote control in combination with the geographic location that you're at. And through that algorithm base that we've developed, we've learned pretty precisely who's watching, not individuals....

CAVUTO: So I could be upstairs watching one thing. My wife could be downstairs watching something else and you guys would know what that is?

DOWNEY: Well, you could actually be watching the same program upstairs and downstairs and get different commercials.

CAVUTO: What are you putting in my TV that makes you know what the heck I'm watching?

DOWNEY: It's not in your television set. It's a software application that's downloaded into your cable television receiver or your satellite receiver, and that small application categorizes you based upon the same way in which Nielsen currently aggregates information.

CAVUTO: So do you have to be an agreeable participating household?

DOWNEY: No, it's actually a very noninvasive.
...

CAVUTO: How soon is this going to be reality?

DOWNEY: Well, it's happening right now. We're working with all the major cable companies and satellite firms.

CAVUTO: So satellite and cable. You're — you won't be able to dodge this?

DOWNEY: It's definitely coming to a house near you soon.

From the indomitable Katherine Albrecht. Hm. Maybe part of the process of getting out of debt (see earlier entry today) should be cancelling that cable or satellite TV service ...

Posted by Claire @ 01:48 PM CST
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