Broadcast communication system and method for providing users with information associated with a geographical area

1. A method for providing information associated with a geographical area to a user of a broadcast communication receiver, the method comprising:

receiving the information and an indication of the geographical area associated with the information into the broadcast communication receiver;

after receiving the information and the indication of the geographical area into the broadcast communication receiver, translating the indication of the geographical area from a first geographical format into a second geographical format suitable for comparing the indication of the geographical area with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, the broadcast communication receiver;

comparing the translated indication of the geographical area with the geographic code; and

relaying the information to the user of the broadcast communication receiver if the geographic code indicates that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographical area comprises at least one of a nation, a state, a county, a city, a postal code area, and a set of coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic code comprises at least one of a nation code, a state code, a county code, a city code, a postal code, and a set of coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises at least one of information relayed by way of an emergency alert system, local event information, and broadcast programming information.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the indication of the geographical area comprises a county name;

the geographic code comprises a ZIP code; and

translating the indication of the geographical area comprises converting the county name into at least one ZIP code.

6. A broadcast communication system, comprising:

a broadcast communication transmitter configured to:

receive information associated with a geographical area, and an indication of the geographical area;

translate the indication of the geographical area from a first geographical format to a second geographical format suitable for comparing the indication of the geographical area with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, each of a plurality of broadcast communication receivers; and

transmit the information and the translated indication of the geographical area to the broadcast communication receivers.

7. The broadcast communication system of claim 6 , wherein the broadcast communication transmitter is configured to transmit the information and the indication of the geographical area over a data channel separate from a plurality of broadcast programming channels transmitted by the broadcast communication transmitter to the plurality of broadcast communication receivers.

8. The broadcast communication system of claim 6 , further comprising:

the plurality of broadcast communication receivers, wherein each of the broadcast communication receivers is configured to:

receive the information and the translated indication of the geographical area from the broadcast communication transmitter;

in response to receiving the information and the translated indication of the geographical area, compare the translated indication of the geographical area with the geographic code stored within the broadcast communication receiver; and

transfer the information to a user of the broadcast communication receiver if the geographic code indicates that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area.

9. The broadcast communication system of claim 8 , wherein:

the broadcast communication transmitter comprises a satellite communication transmitter;

each of the broadcast communication receivers comprises a satellite communication receiver; and

the satellite communication transmitter is configured to receive the information and the indication of the geographical area from a satellite uplink facility.

10. The broadcast communication system of claim 8 , wherein:

the broadcast communication transmitter is configured to transmit the geographic code; and

each of the broadcast communication receivers is configured to receive the geographic code from the broadcast communication transmitter and store the geographic code in the broadcast communication receiver.

11. A broadcast communication receiver configured to:

receive programming signals over a plurality of broadcast communication channels, information associated with a geographical area, and an indication of the geographical area;

in response to receiving the information and the indication of the geographical area, translate the indication of the geographical area from a first geographical format to a second geographical format suitable for comparing the indication of the geographical area with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, the broadcast communication receiver;

compare the indication of the geographical area with the geographic code; and

transfer the information in combination with at least one of the programming signals for presentation to a user of the broadcast communication receiver if the geographic code indicates that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area.

12. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 11 , wherein the broadcast communication receiver is configured to receive the at least one of the programming signals while transferring the at least one of the programming signals in combination with the information for presentation to the user.

13. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 11 , wherein the broadcast communication receiver is configured to receive and store the at least one of the programming signals in the broadcast communication receiver prior to transferring the at least one of the programming signals in combination with the information for presentation to the user.

14. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 11 , wherein the broadcast communication receiver is configured to receive the information and the indication of the geographical area embedded within one of the plurality of broadcast programming channels.

15. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 11 , wherein the broadcast communication receiver is configured to receive the information and the indication of the geographical area over a data channel separate from the plurality of broadcast programming channels.

16. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 11 , wherein the geographic code is stored within the broadcast communication receiver prior to delivery of the broadcast communication receiver to the user.

17. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 11 , wherein:

the broadcast communication receiver comprises a removable memory device configured to store the geographic code.

18. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 11 , wherein:

the broadcast communication receiver comprises a global positioning system receiver configured to generate a geographical location of the broadcast communication receiver;

wherein the broadcast communication receiver is configured to produce the geographic code based on the geographical location generated by the global positioning system receiver, and to store the geographic code in the broadcast communication receiver.

19. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 11 , wherein the broadcast communication receiver is configured to:

receive a selection of one of a plurality of information types from the user; and

transfer the information for presentation to the user if the information is of the selected information type.

20. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 19 , wherein:

the plurality of information types comprises only non-emergency information types.