A program information processing system for retrieving a program using program meta information as meta information about said program, wherein a communication network is used for connection between a program information management server to store said program meta information and a program information operation terminal to specify retrieval conditions; wherein said program information management server has: a program meta information storage section which stores a plurality of said program meta information associated with said programs, wherein said program meta information includes at least available time information showing availability of said program to a user; a time information reception section which receives time information indicating a user specified time for which a user wants to browse a program list from said program information operation terminal; a retrieval keyword reception section which receives a retrieval keyword from said program information operation terminal; a program retrieval section which retrieves one or more programs from said program meta information storage section based on said time information indicating a user specified time for which a user wants to browse a program list and said retrieval keyword, wherein said programs are made available at an approximate time indicated by said time information indicating a user specified time for which a user wants to browse a program list and are associated with said program meta information containing said retrieval keyword; a narrowing keyword extraction section which extracts a narrowing keyword from a plurality of program meta information associated with a program retrieved by said program retrieval section; and a narrowing keyword transmission section which transmits a narrowing keyword extracted by said narrowing keyword extraction section to said program information operation terminal; and wherein said program information operation terminal has: a time information transmission section which transmits said time information indicating a user specified time for which a user wants to browse a program list to said program information management server; a narrowing keyword reception section which receives said narrowing keyword from said program information management server; a narrowing keyword display section which displays said narrowing keyword on a display apparatus; and a retrieval keyword transmission section which transmits a narrowing keyword as a retrieval keyword to said program information management server, wherein said narrowing keyword is selected from those displayed on said display apparatus. a program meta information storage section which stores a plurality of said program meta information associated with said programs, wherein said program meta information includes at least available time information showing availability of said program to a user; a time information reception section which receives time information indicating a user specified time for which a user wants to browse a program list from said program information operation terminal; a retrieval keyword reception section which receives a retrieval keyword from said program information operation terminal; a program retrieval section which retrieves one or more programs from said program meta information storage section based on said time information indicating a user specified time for which a user wants to browse a program list and said retrieval keyword, wherein said programs are made available at an approximate time indicated by said time information indicating a user specified time for which a user wants to browse a program list and are associated with said program meta information containing said retrieval keyword; a narrowing keyword extraction section which extracts a narrowing keyword from a plurality of program meta information associated with a program retrieved by said program retrieval section; and a narrowing keyword transmission section which transmits a narrowing keyword extracted by said narrowing keyword extraction section to said program information operation terminal; and a time information transmission section which transmits said time information indicating a user specified time for which a user wants to browse a program list to said program information management server; a narrowing keyword reception section which receives said narrowing keyword from said program information management server; a narrowing keyword display section which displays said narrowing keyword on a display apparatus; and a retrieval keyword transmission section which transmits a narrowing keyword as a retrieval keyword to said program information management server, wherein said narrowing keyword is selected from those displayed on said display apparatus.