Telephone selection signals are conducted through a separate signal path to a program selector at a remote program storing station from which program readout signals are conducted, after the telephone link is broken, to a signal carrier transmitter. A message signal is inserted during a timed message period, after which program transmission begins and is registered by a billing computer.
Selected program code and time data entered into a subscriber command terminal automatically establishes a two-way telephone link with a library computer from which instruction data is transferred to the command terminal for subsequent programmed reception and reproduction of broadcast signals by a standard receiver coupled to the command terminal. The broadcast signal originates at a library of program records linked by a one-way broadcast transmitter to a plurality of the subscriber command terminals.
A plurality of recorded audio/video signal sources of a program library sequentially transmit segments of a broadcast signal within a time compressed transmission period through a common signal carrier path to a plurality of subscriber stations at which selected segments are detected and expanded for real time reproduction through standard television receivers. Program selection is effected at the subscriber stations through telephone dialing codes also transmitted to the service station by standard telephone communication producing insertion of message information in the broadcast signal during spacing intervals between the sequential segments thereof.