Daypart based navigation paradigm

An apparatus for providing media program information describing media programs, comprising:

• a receiver, having:
• a tuner for receiving the media program and the media program information,
• a processor, communicatively coupled to the tuner,
• for accepting a command via an input device to select an active channel from a plurality of selectable channels the active channel being one of the selectable channels to which the receiver is tuned;
• for accepting a command via the input device to provide a menu guide selected from a plurality of menu guides together defining a media program information space segmented by daypart, wherein a daypart is a period of time during which viewers characteristically view media programs, the media programs related to as to infer which other media programs the viewers would be interested in viewing, and wherein the menu guide is associated with a first daypart;
• and
• for providing the menu guide, the menu guide having a menu guide content portion presenting media program information regarding media programs consisting of all of the media programs scheduled to be available during the first daypart on the active channel.

A method of presenting advertising in a menu guide, comprising the steps of:

• accepting advertising media content and a media program from a media content provider;
• and
• providing the media program information to a subscriber on an active channel;
• and
• providing a menu guide selected from a plurality of menu guides together defining a media program information space segmented by daypart, wherein a daypart is a period of time during which viewers characteristically view media programs, the media programs related to as to infer which other media programs the viewers would be interested in viewing, and wherein the menu guide includes a menu guide content portion presenting media program information for media programs consisting of all of the media programs scheduled to be available on the active channel during a daypart selected from a current daypart and a selected daypart.

A method of presenting media program information describing at least one media program according to daypart, wherein a daypart is a period of time during which viewers characteristically view media programs, the media programs being related so as to infer which other media programs the viewers would be interested in viewing, the method comprising the steps of:

• accepting a command to access the media program information at a time of day;
• determining a first daypart selected from the group comprising a current daypart defined from the time of day and a selected daypart;
• and
• providing a menu guide having menu guide content including media program information, the media program information describing media programs consisting of all of the media programs scheduled to be available during the first daypart on a selected channel.

A method of providing information regarding media programs received by a receiver, comprising the steps of:

• accepting a command via an input device to select an active channel from a plurality of selectable channels, wherein the active channel is a channel to which the receiver is tuned;
• accepting a command via the input device to provide a menu guide selected from a plurality of menu guides together defining a media program information space segmented by daypart, wherein the menu guide is associated with a first daypart selected from a group consisting of:
• a morning daypart from 6 AM to 10 AM;
• a daytime daypart from 10 AM to 4 PM;
• a fringe daypart from 4 PM to 8 PM;
• a primetime daypart from 8 PM to 12 PM;
• a late night daypart from 12 PM to 2 AM;
• and
• an early morning daypart from 2 AM to 6 AM;
• and
• providing the menu guide, the menu guide comprising a menu guide content portion presenting media program information regarding media programs consisting of all of the media programs scheduled to be available during the first daypart on a channel consisting of the active channel.

An apparatus for providing media program information describing media programs, comprising:

• a receiver, having:
• a tuner for receiving the media program and the media program information,
• a processor, communicatively coupled to the tuner;
• for accepting a command via an input device to select an active channel from a plurality of selectable channels wherein the active channel is a channel to which the receiver is tuned, and
• for accepting a command via the input device to provide a menu guide selected from a plurality of menu guides together defining a media program information space segmented by daypart, wherein the menu guide is associated with a first daypart selected from a group comprising a morning daypart from 6 AM to 10 AM, a daytime daypart from 10 AM to 4 PM, a fringe daypart from 4 PM to 8 PM, a primetime daypart from 8 PM to 12 PM and a late night daypart from 12 PM to 2 AM, and
• for providing the menu guide, the menu guide having a menu guide content portion presenting media program information regarding media programs consisting of all of the media programs scheduled to be available during the first daypart on the active channel.

A method of presenting advertising in a menu guide, comprising the steps of:

• accepting advertising media content and a media program from a media content provider;
• providing the media program information to a subscriber on an active channel to which a receiver is currently tuned;
• and
• providing a menu guide selected from a plurality of menu guides together defining a media program information space segmented by daypart selected from a group consisting of:
• a morning daypart from 6 AM to 10 AM;
• a daytime daypart from 10 AM to 4 PM;
• a fringe daypart from 4 PM to 8 PM;
• a primetime daypart from 8 PM to 12 PM;
• a late night daypart from 12 PM to 2 AM;
• and
• an early morning daypart from 2 AM to 6 AM;
• wherein the menu guide includes a menu guide content portion presenting media program information for media programs consisting of all of the media programs scheduled to be available on the active channel during a daypart selected from a current daypart and a selected daypart.