Patent ID: 8239893

Claim:
A method for generating a virtual channel, comprising: (a) determining scheduling instructions contained in an electronic document associated with the virtual channel, each scheduling instruction indicates content that should be presented for selection in the virtual channel; (b) executing the scheduling instructions in priority order; (c) populating the virtual channel with content descriptions based on step (b) of executing the scheduling instructions; (d) identifying broadcasting gaps in the virtual channel; (e) populating the broadcasting gaps identified in step (d) with other content, said populating the broadcasting gaps identified in step (d) with other content includes the steps of: (i) for a first broadcasting gap of the broadcast gaps identified in step (d), identifying other content that is being aired during the time period of the first broadcasting gap; and (ii) populating the first broadcasting gap with a highest-priority content among the other content identified in step (e)(i).