Technique for providing programming content through a communications network having limited bandwidth

1. Apparatus configured to controllably deliver programming content associated with a program source in response to requests from a plurality of terminals in a service area, said apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to receive said requests;

a memory configured to store a first set of statistics generated based on data obtained from first ones of said requests received during a first time interval; and

processing apparatus configured to:

identify, based on said first set of statistics, that a first program source has previously attained a threshold level of demand in said service area at an identified period of time within said first time interval; and

based on said identification, assign a selected communication channel to deliver first programming content associated with said first program source to said service area during said identified period of time, said communication channel not reassigned to a different program source when there are no user requests for said programming content nor users currently tuned to said programming content;

wherein said previous attainment of said threshold level of demand comprises a number of terminals accessing said program source being greater than a pre-determined threshold, said predetermined threshold dependent on a total number of terminals in said service area; and

wherein said processing apparatus is further configured to reassign a second communication channel to said different program source from a second program source in a condition where: (i) there are no user requests for a second programming content associated with said second program source, nor (ii) users currently tuned to said second program source, said second program source having not previously attained said threshold level of demand in said service area at said identified period of time within said first time interval.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said program source includes a program channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said requests for said programming content comprises a request to provide programming content associated with said program source.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processing apparatus is further configured to update a program channel assignment table stored in said memory based on said reassignment of said second communication channel to said different program, said program channel assignment table mapping each program source selectable by a subscriber, a communication channel assignment of said each program source and a number of currently tuned subscribers of said each program source.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processing apparatus is further configured to determine that there are no users currently tuned to said program source via a look up to a program channel assignment table stored in said memory, said program channel assignment table mapping each program source selectable by a subscriber and a number of currently tuned subscribers.

6. A method for controllably delivering a first programming content associated with a first program source and second programming content associated with a second program source in response to requests from a plurality of terminals in a service area, said method comprising:

storing a set of statistics based on data obtained from requests received for program content, said requests comprising requests for said first programming content from said first program source and requests for said second programming content from said second program source received during a first time interval;

identifying, based at least in part on said set of statistics, a first plurality of future time periods in which said first program source will attain a threshold level of demand in said service area and a complementary plurality of future time periods in which said second program source will attain said threshold level of demand in said service area, said first plurality of future time periods and said complementary plurality of future time periods being mutually exclusive time periods;

assigning, based on said identification, a selected carrier to deliver said first programming content associated with said first program source to said service area during said first plurality of future time periods;

during periods other than said first plurality of future time periods, causing said first programming content associated with said first program source to be delivered to said service area according to switched digital broadcast mechanisms;

assigning, based on said identification, said selected carrier to deliver said second programming content associated with said second program source to said service area during said complementary plurality of future time periods; and

during periods other than said complementary plurality of future time periods, causing said second programming content associated with said second program source to be delivered to said service area according to switched digital broadcast mechanisms.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said first and second program source each comprises a particular one of a plurality of program channels.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said threshold level of demand varies based at least in part on a total number of terminals in said service area.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein said set of statistics are based on channel request data.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said channel request data comprises a request to provide programming content associated with said first program source.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said channel request data comprises a request to stop delivery of programming content.

12. The method of claim 6 , further comprising analyzing said set of statistics by cross referencing said set of statistics with other daily statistics to obtain a pattern of viewership for at least said first content source and said second content source.

13. A non-transitory computer readable apparatus comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by a processor controllably deliver programming content associated with a program source in response to requests from a plurality of terminals in a service area via:

collection of tuning data comprising a plurality of records associated with a plurality of program channels in a switched digital network, each of said plurality of records of said collected tuning data comprising a timestamp of a channel change request, a channel identifier associated with a first programming channel, and a unique service area identifier indicative of a particular geographic service area;

based on said collection of said plurality of records, determination of a number of subscribers in said particular geographic service area which are currently tuned to said first programming channel;

generation of a set of service area specific statistics based on said collected tuning data, said set of service area specific statistics comprising at least a plurality of different time intervals, each of said plurality of time different intervals associated with a viewership popularity value for said first programming channel in said particular geographic service area;

identification, based at least in part on said set of service area specific statistics, of a plurality of time periods in which said program source is predicted to attain at least a threshold level of demand in said particular geographic service area;

assignment of a selected carrier to deliver said programming content associated with said program source to said particular geographic service area during said identified periods based at least in part on said set of service area specific statistics, said carrier not being reassigned to a different program source when there is a lack of user requests in said particular geographic service area for said programming content existing during said identified periods; and

during periods other than said identified future periods, delivery of said programming content associated with said program source to said particular geographic service area according to switched digital broadcast mechanisms.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said number of subscribers in said service area which are currently tuned to said first programming channel is based on a value in an assignment table of said service area, said assignment table mapping a set of program channels with said number of subscribers in said service area tuned to said first programming channel and an assigned carrier of said first programming channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by said processor generate geographic region based statistics to determine viewership trends on a regional basis.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the program source comprises a particular one of a plurality of program channels.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the threshold is based at least in part on a total number of terminals in the service area.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by said processor correlate said set of service area specific statistics with a broadcast program schedule to determine viewership patterns of particular programming content.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said set of service area specific statistics further comprises a plurality of viewership trends on a temporal basis and a regional basis for each of at least a portion of said plurality of program channels.