A system for interacting with viewers of television programming includes a television
set and a network terminal for each such user. The terminals are connected by the
network to an interactive server which maintains a first database of persistent
information for each user and a second database of current preference information
for each user. The current preference information includes registrations of users
as viewing particular programs or as participating in certain activities chronicled
in television programs, such as lotteries, polls, and product promotions. According
to information in the first and second databases and according to current user
requests, the interactive server forwards information to users' terminals, modifies
content of all television programming, or modifies content of television programming
targeted to certain users or groups of users for selection by those users' cable
or satellite set-top boxes.
