System and method for controlling the broadcast and recording of television programs and for distributing information to be displayed on a television screen

A system comprising:

• A. A central facility for periodically broadcasting television program scheduling information, the television program scheduling information being broadcast separate and apart from television programming;
• B. a control unit for use in connection with a television receiver for receiving television programming on a plurality of channels, the television receiver having a wireless remote control input for receiving a wireless remote control signal for controlling the television receiver and a program input for receiving program information, the control unit being further for use in connection with an auxiliary television program receiving device for receiving television programming on a plurality of channels, the television receiver having a wireless remote control input for receiving a wireless remote control signal for controlling the television receiver and a program input for receiving program information, the control unit comprising:
• i. a program scheduling receiver for receiving and storing said television program scheduling information;
• ii. a switch for connection to said television receiver and responsive to operator input for selectively providing said stored television program scheduling information and program signals from a program source to said program input as said program information to be displayed by said television receiver;
• iii. a program identifier for receiving operator input relative to said displayed television program scheduling information identifying a program, and
• iv. a television receiver control signal generator for generating a wireless remote control signal for transmission to the wireless remote control input to control the channel of said television receiver in response to the identified program as determined by said program identifier;
• wherein the control unit receives programming signals from said auxiliary television program receiving device for provision as said program information to the program input of said television receiver, the television receiver control signal generator generating a wireless remote control signal for transmission to the wireless remote control input of said auxiliary television program receiving device to control the channel of said auxiliary television program receiving device in response to the identified program as determined by said program identifier.