Time Warner's "new" interactivity

As they say, what goes around, comes around. Time Warner Cable will offer interactive polling to customers during a very limited number of shows, starting Friday with "Degrassi: The Next Generation" on The N (8 p.m. Friday, digital Channel 124). Viewers can express their opinions about characters and story lines, by responding to an on-screen question using the remote control. Then results are posted in real time.
Gee, this new capability sounds like the new QUBE technology introduced when Time Warner – then Warner-Amex Cable – first wired Sharonville and the northern Hamilton County suburbs 25 years ago. Anyone remember Warner-Amex's QUBE, and the short-lived live local origination “Gong Show”-style variety shows where viewers could vote to reject performers?
Time Warner last spring had announced the interactive feature was coming, but it took until now for the Cincinnati (not Dayton) customers to get it. Similar polling will be available to Time Warner customers during “Top Chef”starting Oct. 18 (11 p.m., Bravo, Channel 70).
Anyone else remember old shows on QUBE?

The Debate debate
I know there was conversation on my blog yesterday about the parallel universe of talking about serious issues on TV (the gubernatorial debate) and frivolous ("Dancing with the Stars"). A couple of observations:
--Hey, people watched the debate! The 7-8 p.m. Blackwell-Strickland debate on Ch. 9 was #2 in the overnight ratings, averaging 10 percent of our TV households. Ch. 12’s "Raymond" and "Entertainment Tonight" was first (15 percent). The debaters beat entertainment shows on Ch.19 (9%), Ch. 5 (8%) and Ch. 64 (6%).
--Vivica A. Fox was robbed. Sure, Springer is funny, but Fox should have made it to the Final Four on "DWTS" with Joey Lawrence, Monique Coleman and Mario Lopez.
--And here’s a little side dish: Don’t expect to see Glendale’s Heidi Mueller -- the "Passions" soap actress and daughter of Don ("Who Wants To Marry My Dad") Mueller -- on the show again with Mario Lopez’s parents.
In an e-mail to friends Don explains: "Let’s politely say that they are not hanging out anymore… Too many rumors and published articles about Mario and his new dancing partners’ activities, along with some non truths told to Heidi along the way. (Read between the lines). Again, trying to be polite in my explanations."