Business Notes PROMOTION

When the season finale of ABC's Moonlighting airs in May, viewers will miss television history unless they reach for their glasses. Not just any specs, but one of the 40 million pairs of 3-D glasses that the Coca-Cola company will distribute in an effort to give its pitch an extra dimension. Properly equipped viewers will see ten minutes or so of Moonlighting in 3-D, the first such network broadcast, followed by TV's first 3-D commercial, a 60-second ad for Coca-Cola Classic. The cardboard glasses will be shipped to 40,000 retail stores and fast-food outlets, where they will be given away or sold for no more than 25 cents.

While 3-D has been around since the 1950s, the Moonlighting broadcast will employ an advanced technique developed by Terry Beard, a California-based optical engineer. In the past, 3-D pictures appeared blurry to viewers who did not use special glasses. With Beard's technology those people will see a clear two-dimensional image. Of course, they will be missing one-third of the fun.