TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Preview Channel to Get Test Launch in July: Tele-Communications Inc. and Liberty Media Corp. plan a July 15 test launch of tv!, which will let viewers sample programs from a variety of networks on a single cable channel. The initial test involves a small number of homes. It’s expected to be nationally available by the first quarter of 1995, said Peter Barton, Liberty Media president and chief executive. The new service, designed to give viewers a look at soon-to-be available programming, is similar to free preview weekends offered by some cable networks such as Home Box Office. The cable executives plan to use the channel to poll viewer reaction to new shows, initially by telephone and fax. Eventually, interactive media could be used to gauge more immediate response.