WCVB gets interactive with more than Dickie's Doppler

Turns out that WCVB has more online than just "our web site, thebostonchannel.com," as touted so relentlessly by cheery anchor Ed Harding and the rest of the news team. A big story in the N.Y. Times business section highlights Channel 5 as the first test station for an interactive-TV advertising and shopping service created by Boston-based Backchannel Media, which uses special set-top boxes in viewers' homes.

"The test offers viewers programs — and ads — they can respond to by using remote controls to click on icons they see on their screens," the Times says. "Each click sends a signal to the viewer’s personal portal — basically, a site where everything the person has expressed interest in is aggregated. Then, the viewer can look up more information there the next time he or she goes online."

The test began in May, and it's not clear from the story if it has expanded beyond staff, family and friends at WCVB. But Channel 5's Hearst-Argyle sister station, WMUR in Manchester, N.H., and WJAR in Providence are going to start similar tests.

Oh boy, more icons cluttering up the screen. More set-top boxes to compete with the cable and the DVR and the DVD. And oh, oh boy, more marketing between the overt commercials, where once there was just news and entertainment.

This, of course, is the umpteenth attempt to turn the technological potential of interactive TV into a revenue stream. The Times fondly refers to it as the "Rachel's sweater" syndrome, in which network execs thought they'd be able to get "Friends" fans shopping during their show. There's also a huge potential here for loss of privacy of course, as the stations or Backchannel - or whoever ends up making a go of this technology - could record your every click and sell the data to other marketers eager to know what you like and what you buy.

Personally, I just wish WCVB's Harding and his many colleagues would drop their redundant mantra, "our web site, thebostonchannel.com," like we think a .com is maybe a print magazine or something. And if Dickie and his weather pals stopped saying "Storm Team 5 HD Doppler Net" every time they could just say "radar," there might be more time for actual news. I'm just sayin'.