Cross platform application control in an interactive, multi-platform video network

A broadcast system comprising:

• broadcast equipment, the broadcast equipment being configured to transmit a video stream so that it may be received by a plurality of end user, interactive communication devices (end user devices), the video stream containing video data corresponding to a particular video;
• and
• a broadcast automation system, wherein
• the broadcast automation system is operable to send trigger messages to the broadcast equipment and is operable to transmit trigger messages to the end user devices,
• the broadcast automation system is operable to affect at least some of the content that is displayed on the end user devices by transmitting trigger messages to the end user devices, and
• the broadcast equipment is configured such that, in response to receiving a particular type of trigger message from the broadcast automation system, the broadcast equipment queues a video file for transmission.

A method for providing interactive video programming to a plurality of end users, the method comprising:

• creating a schedule for an episode of a show, wherein the schedule specifies a first time at which a first trigger message should be sent and also specifies a second time at which a second trigger message should be sent;
• using broadcast equipment to broadcast a first video stream encoding video data corresponding to the episode of the show;
• in accordance with the schedule, transmitting the first trigger message from a broadcast automation system to the broadcast equipment;
• in accordance with the schedule, transmitting, from the broadcast automation system, the second trigger message so that the second trigger message is received by (1) a first application running on a first communication device that is located remotely from the broadcast equipment and the broadcast automation system and (2) a second application running on a second communication device that is located remotely from the broadcast equipment, the broadcast automation system, and the first communication device, wherein the second trigger message is configured to cause (1) the first application to display information to an end user using the first communication device and (2) the second application to display the information to an end user using the second communication device;
• and
• using the broadcast equipment to transmit a second video stream encoding said video data, wherein the first and second video streams are transmitted substantially simultaneously.