Word: dial
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...Today's dialing-for-data industry was actually born decades ago, when New York Telephone first started offering the time of day in 1928 and the weather report in 1937. The company added Dial-a-Joke in 1974 and a recorded Santa Claus message the following year. But no one made money on the announcements until 1980, when AT&T launched its Dial-It service. The 900-prefix, long- distance lines enabled callers to participate in automated polls, typically sponsored by TV shows, for 50 cents for the first minute. Initially AT&T pocketed all the toll charges...
...Local dial-up services -- carrying such prefixes as 976, 540 and 410 -- started sprouting after the breakup of the Bell system in 1984. The so- called Baby Bells, legally prohibited from offering their own information services, began forging alliances with hundreds of small firms. In exchange for the use of the telephone lines and their billing departments, Baby Bells charge a fee and also pocket a percentage of the monthly tolls...
...been the best seller, generating more than a third of the industry's revenues. The dial-a-porn lines offer everything from recorded fantasies to lusty personal ads. Bawdy party lines have also proliferated, though their popularity is fading. Many of the numbers are far from erotic, providing legitimate dating services or outlets for gentle conversation...
While porn lines may wither, the dial-up industry is likely to thrive by attracting plenty of legitimate entrepreneurs. It has become a haven for people who have ample imagination but a shortage of capital. W. Brooks McCarty, 38, a former Los Angeles ad executive, invested $35,000 two years ago to start a dial-up service that listed job openings. McCarty's company, National Telephone Information Network, now offers 30 different services, which dispense tips on travel, business and other subjects. This year's expected revenue: $10 million...
McCarty has high hopes for the industry: "It's the beginning of a multibillion-dollar wave of information-providing services, all funneled through your personal phone." Those who want to follow his example can get a primer by dialing a New York City phone number, 540-4540. The message: how to start your own dial-up service...