Abstract: A system to enable authoring of content within an interactive television environment communicates, from a source system, television content to a receiver system, the television content to be presented to a user by the receiver system. Authoring data, associated with the television content, is also communicated from the source system to the receiver system. An authoring application is communicated from the source system to the receiver system, the authoring application being executable by the receiver system to enable the user to author content utilizing the authoring data. The authoring application may include messaging logic to enable the inclusion of the content in a message.

Abstract: A chat room is broadcast in an interactive television environment for lurking “in” a chat room, without the need for establishing a back channel connection. The present invention provides a mode of chat room broadcasting and communication that can be easily handled by a client device, typically a set top box (STB) processor, an interactive television server and its subscriber clients. The present invention broadcasts chat rooms to clients who may either connect through a back channel to participate in a chat room or simply lurk, that is, to watch the chat room content and discussion in the broadcast without participating or registering in the chat room.