Transmitting and receiving long messages in a wireless one-way communication system while reserving selected slots for short messages

A method for directing long messages in a wireless one-way communication system, comprising:

• transmitting a time division multiplexed data stream including both pointer packets and data packets, each pointer packet containing an address corresponding to an associated receiver and containing pointers to a plurality of data packets each containing a portion of a long message targeted for transmission to said associated receiver;
• turning on said associated receiver at predetermined times and at a first predetermined rate thereby polling said data stream at discrete instances of time for identifying an initial pointer packet directed to said associated receiver;
• and
• turning on said associated receiver at a second rate according to the temporal locations associated with the pointer values contained in the initial pointer packet thereby reading each said portion of said long message contained within said plurality of data packets directed to said receiver at said second rate.