NEW YORK (AP) – As TV viewing habits evolve, networks are constantly trying new ways to reach viewers, through the Internet, video iPods, and on-demand services from cable providers. Next up: the produce aisle.

In what appears to be a first, CBS has signed up to become a programming partner with SignStorey Inc., a Fairfield, Conn.-based company that has video screens installed in 1,300 supermarkets nationwide.

George Schweitzer, the head of CBS’s marketing group, said the screens would provide short-form programming designed specifically for shoppers on topics such as health, nutrition, as well as short news and sports items and entertainment.

Schweitzer said some material would be drawn from CBS shows but revised for the supermarket screens, which generally appear in produce and deli sections, where people tend to linger and where there aren’t shelves that would block the view.

“We know how competitive it is in the marketplace,” Schweitzer said. “We saw this as a great way to reach out to our audience in an exclusive venue. We’re not competing with our competitors there, and you can’t change the channel.”

Virginia Cargill, the CEO of SignStorey, said CBS will provide 1-2 minutes of programming for each video loop that appears on the in-store monitors. Each loop consists of about 8 minutes, half of which is advertising. Other companies will provide the rest of the programming, including Meredith Corp., a media company that owns TV stations and a number of magazines including Better Homes & Gardens.

“As it gets harder to reach people at home, everybody still goes to the grocery store,” Cargill said. “If you want to reach people, it is not only an important place to be, it is a necessary place to be.”