Systems and methods for managing electronically delivered information channels

In a computer network, a channel personalization engine, comprising:

• a non-transitory tangible data storage unit configured to store non-textual category data received by the data storage unit via the computer network and an internet connection from one of a first subscriber device and a second subscriber device each associated with a subscriber, the non-textual category data entered via an interface of at least one of the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device;
• and
• the data storage unit configured to store subscriber interest category data received via the computer network and internet connection from one of the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device each associated with the subscriber, the subscriber interest category data entered via the interface of at least one of the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device;
• the channel personalization engine configured to identify content associated with the non-textual category data and content associated with the subscriber interest category data;
• the channel personalization engine further configured to generate a customized subscriber channel for the subscriber, the customized subscriber channel configured to stream at least a portion of the content associated with the non-textual category data and at least a portion of the content associated with the subscriber interest category data via the computer network and internet connection to at least one of the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device, the customized subscriber channel including the content associated with the non-textual category data and the content associated with the subscriber interest category data, wherein the customized subscriber channel of the subscriber created by the channel personalization engine is generated at least in part responsive to the non-textual category data entered by the subscriber and the plurality of subscriber interest category data entered by the subscriber;
• the channel personalization engine configured to stream, via the customized subscriber channel from the channel personalization engine, the portion of the content associated with the non-textual category data in a first format configured for display on the first subscriber device;
• the channel personalization engine further configured to stream, via the customized subscriber channel from the channel personalization engine, the portion of the content associated with the subscriber interest category data in a second format configured for display on the second subscriber device during a time period of continuous transmission of the content associated with the non-textual category data from the channel personalization engine and the computer network in the first format configured for display on the first subscriber device;
• and
• the channel personalization engine further configured to receive, via the computer network and internet connection from a first user device, data entered into an interface of the first user device including at least one of second non-textual category data and user interest category data, wherein the first user device is a different device than the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device;
• the channel personalization engine further configured to determine that a first user associated with the first user device has an interest in a portion of content of the subscriber channel, the determining at least in part responsive to the non-textual category data and the user interest category data entered by the first user via the first user device;
• the channel personalization engine further configured to stream the portion of content of the subscriber channel to the first user via the first user device;
• and
• the channel personalization engine further configured to restrict the first user device's access of the subscriber channel to the portion of the content of the subscriber channel in which the first user associated with the first user device is determined to have the interest.

A non-transitory computer-readable device with instructions thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one computing device having a channel personalization engine, cause one or more of the at least one computing device to perform the acts comprising:

• receiving, by the one or more of the at least one computing device, from at least one of a first subscriber device associated with a subscriber and a second subscriber device associated with the subscriber via a computing network and internet connection, a selection of non-textual category data entered by the subscriber via an interface of one of the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device and a plurality of subscriber interest category data entered by the subscriber via the interface of one of the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device;
• identifying content associated with the non-textual category data and content associated with the subscriber interest category data;
• creating a customized subscriber channel associated with the subscriber and configured to stream at least a portion of the content associated with the non-textual category data via the computer network and internet connection to the subscriber via at least one of the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device, and the subscriber channel configured to stream at least a portion of the content associated with the subscriber interest category data via the computer network and internet connection to the subscriber via at least one of the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device, the subscriber channel including the content associated with the non-textual category data and including the content associated with the subscriber interest category data, wherein the customized subscriber channel of the subscriber created by the channel personalization engine is at least in part responsive to the non-textual category data entered by the subscriber and the plurality of subscriber interest category data entered by the subscriber;
• streaming, through the subscriber channel from the channel personalization engine via the computer network and internet connection to the first subscriber device, the portion of the content associated with the non-textual category data to the subscriber in a first format configured for display on a first subscriber device;
• and
• streaming, through the subscriber channel from the channel personalization engine to the second subscriber device, the portion of the content associated with the subscriber interest category data to the subscriber in a second format configured for display on a second subscriber device during a time period of continuous transmission of the content associated with the non-textual category data from the channel personalization engine to the subscriber in the first format configured for display on the first subscriber device;
• receiving, by the channel personalization engine via the computer network and internet connection from a first user device, data entered into an interface of the first user device including at least one of second non-textual category data and user interest category data, wherein the first user device is a different device than the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device;
• determining, by the channel personalization engine, that a first user associated with the first user device has an interest in a portion of content of the subscriber channel, the determining at least in part responsive to the non-textual category data and the user interest category data entered by the first user via the first user device;
• streaming the portion of content of the subscriber channel to the first user device via the computer network and internet connection;
• and
• restricting the first user device's access of the subscriber channel to the portion of the content of the subscriber channel in which the first user associated with the first user device is determined by the channel personalization engine to have the interest.