Newsday and Nynex in joint venture p. 33

By: Dorothy Giobbe TIMES MIRROR CO. and Nynex announced that Newsday, New York Newsday and Nynex will create a joint venture that will offer an interactive electronic shopping service.
The service will be offered through Nynex's recently-formed Entertainment and Information Services group, headed by group vice president Walt Rickard.
The joint venture will combine the advertiser listings of Newsday with the business directory listings of Nynex. Consumers will be able to access information based on chosen criteria.
If, for example, a user wants to access dining information based on location, type of food served, and credit cards accepted, the service will provide the information over the telephone, by fax or mail.
Additionally, users may request related editorial material from Newsday and New York Newsday, including restaurant and entertainment reviews.
Information will be available about several categories, including entertainment, dining, travel, real estate, auto sales and home maintenance.
The service will also allow businesses to inform consumers about promotions or sales.
The service will first be offered in the downstate region of New York, and will initially be made available over the Nynex network, although Times Mirror and Nynex said that they will explore additional avenues of delivery, including the personal computer and interactive television.
The two companies will also develop a "information group" application that will allow callers to receive information on a variety of related topics. For example, a home buyer could receive information about real estate agencies, lending institutions, or movers.
The move follows last year's announcement that the Times Mirror-owned Los Angeles Times and a subsidiary of Pacific Telesis would form a joint venture to offer consumers in California electronic shopping and transaction services.