Those interactive elements can be transmitted as part of the TV signal or separately from it, depending on whether the programmer wants them to pop up on the TV or on a second screen. The two-screen approach has its drawbacks too. For viewers who use a dial-up modem, staying online ties up a phone line for the duration of the show. And viewers might not like the amount of information the programs ask them to submit as they register to participate online. To keep viewers from doing something productive during commercial breaks, the interactive game throws in a few extra questions tied to the advertisements.
Viewers compete by geographic region, with the running tallies appearing online between questions.
We have a sizable amount of people that return to play along. When the opportunity came up to actually go on and compete against other people in the area and across the country, I just like that idea. You can kind of put your money where your mouth is. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable, but nobody knows everything. By the fall season, I think you should expect to see a whole lot more come out two-screen.