Wink wanted the remote control to work like a mouse. During a Wink-enhanced ad, a viewer could press one button to order a product, ask for a sample or grab a coupon. During a show, the same button pulled up scores, weather or a poll. By 1999 the Alameda company had backing from Microsoft, General Instrument, Scientific Atlanta, Toshiba, GE Capital, DIRECTV's parent and Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures.

A Toll Booth on Every Click

Brian Dougherty co-founded Wink in October 1994 and ran it as chief executive until late 1996. Maggie Wilderotter led the company by the time it went public. Wink began rolling out its service in the United States in June 1998. It licensed its software to 60 partners across the TV business. The plan was to earn most of its money from fees charged to advertisers and merchants each time a viewer clicked to buy or ask for more.

Sixteen Dollars to Three

Wink priced at $16 a share in August 1999 and listed on Nasdaq as WINK. Interactive TV grew far slower than its backers hoped, and the transaction fees never added up to a big business. In June 2002 Wink agreed to sell itself to a unit of Liberty Media for $3.00 a share in cash. The company ended its public registration that August.

Cover: Flirtation, plate six from Woman, Albert Besnard. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for a flirtation (a wink).