In the tradition of Time Life Inc., Universal Music Group plans to use half-hour infomercials to sell its back catalog. The Los Angeles Times reports that the company will make an official announcement next week that it is launching a new division aimed at producing and distributing the 30-minute spots. In fact, the division's first infomercial, for the Soul '70s Collection, is already airing in some cities. The move is said to be a response to large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Circuit City, which sell mainly current releases and very few past hits.

"The catalogs of Motown and the Soul '70s and Rock & Roll '60s are disappearing from retail shelves," Ira Pittelman, who will head Universal's new division, told the Times. "TV is the best way to talk to that audience now."

Just as MTV exposes a younger audience to new music, television could be the perfect outlet to remind older consumers of past hits. It's been proven that even traditional documentaries with no sales pitch can still inspire sales. The Times points out that the new Martin Scorsese documentary, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, which has been airing on some PBS stations, has helped drive sales of Dylan's songs from the '60s. The series' soundtrack also has sold more than 75,000 copies since its release late last month.

Universal's new division will try to avoid the "cheesy" tag that often goes with infomercials by making them more documentary-style. They plan to use rare footage of artists from Stevie Wonder to Perry Como, and Pittelman said they will cost up to $800,000 to produce.

"A while back, the musicians that built Rock & Roll or started Soul music were uncomfortable with television," Pittelman said. "But that's not true anymore. Everyone is older now. They all watch TV."