Abstract: A server receives a source signal stream comprising metadata and an advertisement space. The server extracts from the metadata a channel identifier, a private client identifier, and personal identifiable information about an intended audience of interest to advertisers. The server identifies at least one anonymous statistic of a national market and a placement opportunity including an owner of the advertisement space, the at least one anonymous statistic of a national market based in part on the channel identifier and the personal identifiable information. The server purges the personal identifiable information about the intended audience when the owner of the advertisement space is identified as a national network. The server targets an advertisement decision to the intended audience based on the at least one anonymous statistic of a national market.

Abstract: A server receives a source signal stream having a channel identifier and an indication that an advertisement placement opportunity is located in the signal stream a time period prior to an advertisement signal point. The server transmits the channel identifier to a session manager. The server receives from the session manager a list of sessions corresponding to a number of recipients currently viewing a channel corresponding to the channel identifier. The server transmits to an ad decision service an ad call for each session in the list. The server receives from the ad decision service a plurality of advertisements targeted to the list. The server stores the plurality of advertisements in at least one cache prior to expiration of the time period, where the advertisement signal point is detected by the programmed computer.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system of marking signal streams for advertisement placement is disclosed. A server receives at least one source signal stream having a channel identifier. The server identifies an advertisement signal point in the at least one source signal stream. The server determines a temporal starting location of the advertisement signal point. The server generates a unique signal ID based on the temporal starting location of the advertisement signal point and the channel identifier. The server inserts the unique signal ID into metadata of the at least one source signal stream. The unique signal ID may be a universal unique identifier (UUID).

Abstract: A server receives a source signal stream comprising metadata and an advertisement space. The server extracts from the metadata a channel identifier, a private client identifier, and personal identifiable information about an intended audience of interest to advertisers. The server identifies at least one anonymous statistic of a national market and a placement opportunity including an owner of the advertisement space, the at least one anonymous statistic of a national market based in part on the channel identifier and the personal identifiable information. The server purges the personal identifiable information about the intended audience when the owner of the advertisement space is identified as a national network. The server targets an advertisement decision to the intended audience based on the at least one anonymous statistic of a national market.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for managing audience data for advertisement placements is disclosed. A server receives a source signal stream comprising metadata and an advertisement space. The server extracts from the metadata a channel identifier, a private client identifier, and information about an intended audience of interest to advertisers. The server identifies a placement opportunity including an owner of the advertisement space based on the channel identifier. The server purges at least some of the extracted information about the intended audience when the owner of the advertisement space is identified as a national network. The server identifies an amount of information about the intended audience to purge and subsequently to fetch for the national network based on a business arrangement between the national network and a service provider, which the server enforces and enables.

Abstract: A server receives a source signal stream having a channel identifier and an indication that an advertisement placement opportunity is located in the signal stream a time period prior to an advertisement signal point. The server transmits the channel identifier to a session manager. The server receives from the session manager a list of sessions corresponding to a number of recipients currently viewing a channel corresponding to the channel identifier. The server transmits to an ad decision service an ad call for each session in the list. The server receives from the ad decision service a plurality of advertisements targeted to the list. The server stores the plurality of advertisements in at least one cache prior to expiration of the time period, where the advertisement signal point is detected by the programmed computer.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for enabling service providers to fairly distribute advertisement placement opportunities containing inventory splits is disclosed. A router receives a play list containing inventory split percentages of ownership of a number of placement opportunities. The router associates ownership of each of the placement opportunities at random, but weighted by the inventory split percentages. The router inserts the placement opportunities into designated time intervals of a stream. The router transmits the stream to a user.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for accelerating advertising placement decisions is disclosed. A server receives a source signal stream having a channel identifier and an indication that an advertisement placement opportunity is located in the signal stream a time period prior to an advertisement signal point. The server identifies a list representative of a plurality of recipient signal streams having the channel identifier and at least one audience attribute prior to expiration of the time period. The server obtains a plurality of targeted advertisements corresponding to the list representative of the plurality of recipient signal streams. The server stores the plurality of advertisements in at least one cache.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for managing redundant signals are disclosed. At least one server receives a first signal stream with an identifier, the first signal stream having a first time associated with a first signal point. The at least one server receives a second signal stream with the identifier, the second signal stream having a second time associated with a second signal point, wherein the second time is after the first time. The at least one server compares the first time associated with the first signal stream with the second time associated with the second signal stream. The at least one server terminates transmission of the second signal stream and transmits the first signal stream when the comparison is determined to be within a time range tolerance. Both signal streams are transmitted when the comparison is determined not to be within a time range tolerance.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for enabling content providers to identify and customize placement opportunities is disclosed, comprising the steps of processing instructions to customize a pre-existing at least one of an audio and video datastream comprising at least one predefined time interval for content, identifying at least one time interval for a placement opportunity in the at least one of an audio and video datastream; altering at least one characteristic of the at least one time interval for a placement opportunity in accordance with tile instructions; assembling the altered at least one time interval for a placement opportunity and at least one time interval for content into a list that represents an altered at least one of an audio and video datastream; and delivering the list to a distribution system for playing the altered at least one of an audio and video datastream.

Abstract: A method is provided for interaction between content providers and consumers on a communication system. The method includes acquiring data from the consumers regarding electronic commerce transactions conducted through the communication system. Content provider media assets are managed using the communication system for distribution of the assets to the consumers. The management of the content provider media assets is adjusted based on the acquired data from consumers regarding electronic commerce transactions, so as to generate a schedule for delivery of content provider media assets to the consumers that is based on the consumer's electronic commerce history.