Exploring eTV's predecessors in the broadcast industry, Tracy Swedlow discusses attempts from the 1950s onward to create interactive television experiences and to emphasize the potential functionality of today's eTV models. She analyzes the readiness of the broadcast and new-media industries (as of 1999) to bring eTV to the public, and the obstacles they might face. She also highlights the major players actively generating interactive television technologies and content, ending with a handy glossary of technical terms.