Abstract: A mobile station (102) contains a local personality database (110) in a memory (306) of the mobile station. The local personality database contains information records (400), at least one of which has a variable personality parameter, such as a directory number (404). The directory number may change with either the time of day, geographic location, or both. At the appropriate time, the mobile station transmits a request to a central office (106) to receive an update of the directory number. The central office searches a parameter database (112) to find the most recent directory number, and returns it to the mobile station, which stores it for use at a later time. The system can also update scan and channel lists in the same manner.