Importance

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Abstract

A system and method for adapting program guides to meet subscriber criteria, and for providing program guide information to selected subscribers based upon subscriber criteria such as the subscriber's location within a market area is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is applied to a system broadcasting a first signal having service channels, each of which service channels is uniquely described by a service channel identifier. The application of the method provides second program guide information describing a second set of programs only to a subset of the plurality of receiver stations that comply with at least one service criteria. The method comprises the steps of segmenting the programs into at least one service group according to the service criteria, wherein the service group comprises the second set of programs, assembling the second program guide information, and transmitting a first signal having first program guide information to the receiver stations on a first service channel and second program guide information describing the second set of programs to the receiver stations on a second service channel offset from the first service channel. Each of the receiver stations intended to receive the second program guide information stores information identifying the second service channel carrying the second program guide information. This information is used by the receiver station to receive and present the second program guide material to the subscriber.

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First Claim