Abstract: A two-stage television signal distribution system, useful for distribution where the first stage of the television distribution occurs over satellite, has a distribution control center for encoding system control information in the vertical blanking interval of a television signal to be broadcast over a first transmission medium to at least one receive station, each receive station being provided with a plurality of video cassette recorders for storing incoming television signals under control of the system control information contained in the television signal. The system further includes a second transmission medium having multiple television channel capacity for transmitting television signals from a receive station to a plurality of terminations (i.e. the audience) where the television signals carried on the second transmission medium include television signals previously stored at the receiving station and may also include the television signal carried on the first transmission medium.