TVGEN, known in its former life as iGuide, offers four "channels" focusing on distinct areas of entertainment including national and local TV programming listings, customized viewing schedules and e-mail notification about favorite programs based on user preference data, extensive TV and film databases, interactive features and games, and original content updated daily.

Other sites include a movies area, a music section, and a sports cyber-venue, officials said.

Besides content, TVGEN will also provide Web-based chat rooms for up to several thousand users, officials said.

News Corp. officials also said they have created advertising models that will generate "significant revenue" by focusing on tightly defined niche audiences, and drawing on the targeted customer data available from the site.

RealAudio, Java, and Shockwave are used at the site, officials added.

With the WebTV partnership, TVGEN will provide customized content for WebTV subscribers, officials said. By using WebTV and TVGEN together, "users can identify what they want to watch through the TVGEN listings on WebTV and then switch back to the actual program -- never leaving their couch," said Jeff Liest, chief operating officer at TVGEN.

The TVGEN icon will also be prominently displayed on the WebTV home page, so that WebTV surfers can immediately access the site with just one click of a button, officials said.

TVGEN is also working to optimize its content on the WebTV service, including advanced audio integration and more regional specifications for the listing grids.

Source: Newsbytes