Patent ID: 7661119

Claim:
In a broadcasting system having a first service network broadcasting a first signal having a first set of program material and first program guide information describing at least a portion of said first set of program material, and a second service network broadcasting a second signal having a second set of program material and second program guide information describing at least a portion of said second set of program material, wherein the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal each include service channels uniquely described by a service channel identifier, a method of providing at least a portion of the second program guide information to a receiving station receiving the first signal, comprising the steps of: mapping at least a portion of the first program guide information to a first service channel of the first broadcast signal; mapping at least a portion of the second program guide information to a second service channel of the first broadcast signal, wherein the second service channel is logically offset from the first service channel; and transmitting the first signal to the receiving station; wherein the second program guide information includes data identifying the service network transmitting the second program guide information and wherein the first program guide information and the second program guide information is merged according to a comparison between the data and a receiver station configuration value.