Displaying enhanced advertisements simultaneously across substantially all channels

1. A method comprising the steps of:

operating a video content network having a plurality of program channels;

identifying a target time slot for an enhanced advertisement, at least a first group of said plurality of program channels having a first group of programs scheduled during said target time slot;

signaling said target time slot to a plurality of terminals connected to said video content network by sending a first digital cue tone, each of said terminals viewing a given one of said program channels prior to said signaling;

maintaining recordings of said first group of programs in a head end of said video content network;

responsive to said signaling:

effectively pausing said first group of programs at a program time corresponding to a beginning of said time slot; and

causing said enhanced advertisement to be displayed on said terminals by sending said enhanced advertisement in real time from said head end; and

responsive to an end of said enhanced advertisement, resuming said first group of programs at said program time corresponding to said beginning of said time slot by making said recordings available from said head end;

whereby substantially all viewers of said video content network during said target time slot are exposed to said enhanced advertisement regardless of which of said plurality of program channels said viewers were watching during said target time slot;

wherein said signaling further comprises, for said first group of program channels, inserting said first digital cue tone at said target time slot.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of causing said enhanced advertisement to be displayed on said terminals comprises causing each of said terminals to tune to a designated channel for viewing of said enhanced advertisement and wherein said step of resuming said programs scheduled during said target time slot comprises causing each of said terminals to tune back to an original one of said plurality of program channels.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising suppressing indication of said tuning to said designated channel on said terminals.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of resuming said programs scheduled during said target time slot at said program time corresponding to said beginning of said time slot comprises, for at least those of said programs scheduled during said target time slot not having an adequate advertising slot coincident with said enhanced advertisement, tuning to corresponding time-shifted program channels.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of resuming said programs scheduled during said target time slot at said program time corresponding to said beginning of said time slot comprises, for at least those of said programs scheduled during said target time slot not having an adequate advertising slot coincident with said enhanced advertisement, establishing individual video on demand sessions commencing at said program time corresponding to said beginning of said time slot.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of causing said enhanced advertisement to be displayed on said terminals comprises causing each of said terminals to initiate a video-on-demand session for viewing of said enhanced advertisement and wherein said step of resuming said programs scheduled during said target time slot comprises causing each of said terminals to end said video-on-demand session.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the additional step of offering said time slot to an advertiser.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating with at least one additional video content network to enable said enhanced advertisement to be displayed during said target time slot on said at least one additional video content network.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first digital cue tone conforms to American National Standards Institute and Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers standard ANSI/SCTE 35.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said first digital cue tone has a message type field identifying it as an enhanced advertisement cueing message.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said signaling further comprises:

monitoring program material received in a head end of said video content network for presence of existing cue tones; and

if a given one of said existing cue tones is present at said target time slot, flagging said given one of said existing cue tones as said first digital cue tone.

12. A video content network for placing an enhanced advertisement in a target time slot, said video content network having a plurality of program channels, said video content network comprising:

means for signaling said target time slot to a plurality of terminals connected to said video content network by sending a first digital cue tone, each of said terminals viewing a given one of said program channels prior to said signaling, at least a first group of said plurality of program channels having a first group of programs scheduled during said target time slot;

means for maintaining recordings of said first group of programs in a head end of said video content network;

means for, responsive to said signaling:

effectively pausing said first group of programs at a program time corresponding to a beginning of said time slot; and

causing said enhanced advertisement to be displayed on said terminals by sending said enhanced advertisement in real time from said head end; and

means for, responsive to an end of said enhanced advertisement, resuming said first group of programs at said program time corresponding to said beginning of said time slot by making said recordings available from said head end;

whereby substantially all viewers of said video content network during said target time slot are exposed to said enhanced advertisement regardless of which of said plurality of program channels said viewers were watching during said target time slot;

wherein said signaling further comprises, for said first group of program channels, inserting said first digital cue tone at said target time slot.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said means for signaling further comprise:

means for monitoring program material received in a head end of said video content network for presence of existing cue tones; and

means for, if a given one of said existing cue tones is present at said target time slot, flagging said given one of said existing cue tones as said first digital cue tone.

14. An apparatus for placing an enhanced advertisement in a target time slot in a video content network having a plurality of program channels, said apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor located in a head end of said video content network, said at least one processor being coupled to said memory and being operative to:

signal said target time slot to a plurality of terminals connected to said video content network by sending a first digital cue tone, each of said terminals viewing a given one of said program channels prior to said signaling, at least a first group of said plurality of program channels having a first group of programs scheduled during said target time slot;

maintain recordings of said first group of programs in a head end of said video content network;

responsive to said signaling:

effectively pause said first group of programs at a program time corresponding to a beginning of said time slot; and

cause said enhanced advertisement to be displayed on said terminals by sending said enhanced advertisement in real time from said head end; and

responsive to an end of said enhanced advertisement, resume said first group of programs at said program time corresponding to said beginning of said time slot by making said recordings available from said head end;

whereby substantially all viewers of said video content network during said target time slot are exposed to said enhanced advertisement regardless of which of said plurality of program channels said viewers were watching during said target time slot;

wherein said at least one processor is further operative to signal said target time slot by inserting said first digital cue tone at said target time slot for said first group of program channels.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said at least one processor is operative to cause said enhanced advertisement to be displayed on said terminals by causing each of said terminals to tune to a designated channel for viewing of said enhanced advertisement and wherein said at least one processor is operative to resume said programs scheduled during said target time slot by causing each of said terminals to tune back to an original one of said plurality of program channels.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said at least one processor is operative to cause said enhanced advertisement to be displayed on said terminals by causing each of said terminals to initiate a video-on-demand session for viewing of said enhanced advertisement and wherein said at least one processor is operative to resume said programs scheduled during said target time slot by causing each of said terminals to end said video-on-demand session.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

monitor program material received in said head end of said video content network for presence of existing cue tones; and

if a given one of said existing cue tones is present at said target time slot, flag said given one of said existing cue tones as said first digital cue tone.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying a watch-TV application and a network personal video recorder application on said plurality of terminals to detect said first digital cue tone.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exempting at least one of said programs from said enhanced advertisement during an original broadcast of said at least one of said programs; and

causing said enhanced advertisement to be displayed during a subsequent playback of said at least one of said programs from a server of said video content network.