Want to watch 'Scooby Doo'? That'll cost 25 cents

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- Fed up with his daughter spending too much time in front of the television, Michael Lowery of Colorado Springs devised an ingenious solution: pay television.

No, Lowery isn't trying to compete against HBO and Showtime. He's only trying to regulate the amount of time the tube is on in his house so his daughter, Alicia, doesn't turn into a couch potato.

"It started in the morning," Lowery says. "She'd run upstairs, flip on the TV."

In desperation, Lowery invented the Box Fox. The device prevents the TV from displaying a picture unless Alicia deposits a quarter. Then the clock starts ticking. After 30 minutes, she has to deposit another quarter, or else stare at a blank screen. That's quite a deterrent for someone on a $3-a-week allowance.

Leanne Greggs reports from KUSA in Colorado Springs, Colorado
	VXtreme streaming video (1 min. 36 sec.)

Now Alicia spends more time playing with friends, reading or using the computer.

And her father has a potential cash cow. He's already sold more than 60 of the Box Foxes at $80 each. His goal: to mass produce them, thereby lowering the cost and spurring people everywhere to get off the couch.

• Parenting

Related sites:

• Kill Your Television Home Page

Search for related CNN stories:   [Help] Tip: You can restrict your search to the title of a document. Example: title:New Year's Resolutions

Sound off on our message boards Tell us what you think! You said it...

© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

Terms under which this service is provided to you.