BROADCAST CONTENT MANAGEMENT BASED ON CATEGORIZATION

1 . A method for a content provider to manage broadcast content, said method comprising:

selecting content to be broadcast;

determining a category of said selected content, wherein said category is at least one of real time content, effective real time content, non-real time content and time opportunistic content;

tagging said selected content; and

transmitting said tagged selected content to a content aggregator for broadcasting, wherein said content aggregator receives content from the various content providers and forwards said content to transmission antennas for broadcasting to customers' premises, and further, wherein ownership of said content aggregator is vested in said content providers.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said tagged selected content includes tags as part of the content.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said tagged selected content includes tags separately from the content.

4 . (canceled)

5 . The method according to claim 1 , where real time content is delivered at a time of consumption.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , where effective real time content may be delivered either completely or partially before and up to a time of consumption but consumption is permitted only at or after a scheduled time.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , where non-real time content is delivered at any time before and up to a scheduled time of consumption and consumption is permitted once the non-real time content is delivered.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , where non-real time content is delivered at any time before and up to a scheduled time of consumption and consumption is permitted before the non-real time content is fully delivered.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , where time opportunistic content is delivered as the broadcast bandwidth is made available and consumption is permitted once the time opportunistic content is delivered.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , where time opportunistic content is delivered as the broadcast bandwidth is made available and consumption is permitted before the time opportunistic content is fully delivered.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining if said selected content was transmitted to said content aggregator;

monitoring broadcast channel;

determining if said selected content was broadcast according to a scheduled time; and

taking appropriate alternative action if said selected content was not broadcast at said scheduled time.

12 . A method for a content aggregator to broadcast content, said method comprising:

receiving selected content from a content provider;

determining when to broadcast said selected content and determining whether to broadcast any part of said selected content prior to a schedule time; and

broadcasting said selected content responsive to said determining step.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein said broadcasting step includes using network interfaces, if available, to enhance broadcasting abilities.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein said determining step is accomplished based on tags associated with said selected content.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising tagging said selected content if said selected content is received without any tags.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising modifying said tags associated with said selected content based on said determining step.

17 . A content provider to manage broadcast content, comprising:

a processor and storage module, said processor and storage module selecting content to be broadcast;

said processor and storage module determining a category of said selected content, wherein said category is at least one of real time content, effective real time content, non-real time content and time opportunistic content;

said processor and storage module or a transcoding/multiplexing module, which is in bi-directional communication with said processor tagging said selected content; and

said processor and storage module transmitting said tagged selected content to a content aggregator for broadcasting, wherein said content aggregator receives content from the various content providers and forwards said content to transmission antennas for broadcasting to customers' premises, and further, wherein ownership of said content aggregator is vested in said content providers.

18 . The content provider according to claim 17 , where tagged selected content includes tags as part of the content.

19 . The content provider according to claim 17 , where tagged selected content includes tags separately from the content.

20 . (canceled)

21 . The content provider according to claim 17 , where real time content is delivered at a time of consumption.

22 . The content provider according to claim 17 , where effective real time content may be delivered either completely or partially before and up to a time of consumption but consumption is permitted only at or after a scheduled time.

23 . The content provider according to claim 17 , where non-real time content is delivered at any time before and up to a scheduled time of consumption and consumption is permitted once the non-real time content is delivered.

24 . The content provider according to claim 17 , where non-real time content is delivered at any time before and up to a scheduled time of consumption and consumption is permitted before the non-real time content is fully delivered.

25 . The content provider according to claim 17 , where time opportunistic content is delivered as the broadcast bandwidth is made available and consumption is permitted once the time opportunistic content is delivered.

26 . The content provider according to claim 17 , where time opportunistic content is delivered as the broadcast bandwidth is made available and consumption is permitted before the time opportunistic content is fully delivered.

27 . The content provider according to claim 17 , further comprising:

said processor and storage module determining if said selected content was transmitted to said content aggregator;

said processor and storage module monitoring broadcast a channel;

said processor and storage module determining if said selected content was broadcast according to a scheduled time; and

an administrator device taking appropriate alternative action if said selected content was not broadcast at said scheduled time.

28 . A content aggregator for broadcasting and managing content, comprising:

a processor and storage module, said processor and storage module receiving selected content from a content provider;

said processor and storage module determining when to broadcast said selected content and means for determining whether to broadcast any part of said selected content prior to a schedule time; and

said processor and storage module broadcasting said selected content responsive to said determining.

29 . The content aggregator according to claim 28 , wherein said broadcasting includes using network interfaces, if available, to enhance broadcasting abilities.

30 . The content aggregator according to claim 28 , wherein said determining is accomplished based on tags associated with said selected content.

31 . The content aggregator according to claim 28 , further comprising said processor and storage module or a transcoding/multiplexing module in bi-directional communication with said processor and storage module tagging said selected content if said selected content is received without any tags.

32 . The content aggregator according to claim 30 , further comprising said processor and storage module modifying said tags associated with said selected content based on said determining.