Patent ID: 8104062

Claim:
An information providing apparatus, comprising: a microcomputer that includes: a hierarchizing section that hierarchizes electronic program guide information to be provided into first information which designates predetermined information on specific broadcasts of a program and second information to be referred to by the first information for general information on said program, wherein the first information includes broadcasting schedule information and broadcasting station information of the program, while the second information includes title information of the program and designating information representing position information of predetermined information in the first information to generate introductory information of the program, and wherein the first information, which can be changed, comprises electronic program guide information associated with said program, and the second information, which cannot be changed, comprises electronic program guide information associated with said program; a first providing section that provides at least one of the first information and the second information; and a second providing section that provides layout information which relates to a layout of the electronic program guide information when displayed on a screen, wherein an updated electronic program guide is displayed by combining the first information received from a first delivery medium and the second information received from a second delivery medium, wherein when the first information of a predetermined program is changed, only the first information of the predetermined program is retransmitted from the first medium for updating the electronic program guide, wherein the first information includes information indicating a transmission day of the first information so that the latest first information is used, wherein the first information and the second information each include a tag to enable data included therein to be associated with the layout information, and wherein said electronic program guide information is displayed according to a delivery medium on which said data or at least one of said first information and said second information is provided.