• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, November 14, 2006

After some try-outs in upstate New York and as far away as Hawaii, Time Warner is finally bringing interactive TV to Madison Avenue's home turf. The cable TV giant Monday said it would make a suite of interactive TV advertising options available in the nation's largest media market that will allow viewers of 30-second spots the opportunity to vote, request more information, learn more information, or telescope to view longer-format advertising content.

Time Warner, which calls the approach "active advertising," said the interactive overlays are available on more than 30 cable networks carried by Time Warner Cable, including its flagship city news channel New York 1, as well as NBC Universal flagship TV station WNBC. The agreement marks the first time a major New York City broadcaster will offer interactive TV spots.

Charter advertisers signing on for the interactive ads include American Express, GE, General Motors, and Time Warner movie unit Warner Bros.

A Time Warner spokesman said the cable operator has been testing the service in several upstate markets, including Albany, Rochester and Syracuse, and has deployed it in Hawaii--but that this will be the first time many New York City-based ad executives will get to see the ads firsthand.

TV spots can utilize one or more of the interactive features.

Time Warner will also utilize the features to promote its own suite of video-on-demand channels, including DriverTV, Movie Trailers On Demand, and ExpoTV.