Abstract: A system for providing transmitter-controlled actuation of equipment at the receiving end of a communications system by using an identification signal transmitted for the entire duration of a broadcast and characterizing this broadcast. If the equipment has not been started by the identification signal and if the device is actuated at the beginning or during the broadcast, the further operation of the equipment in a predetermined operating mode is controlled using the identification signal. The equipment at the receiving end may be a broadcast receiver, particiularly a television or radio receiver, or an audio or video recorder. In a particular embodiment, the identification signal is stored when a record or "quick start" key of a VCR is manually actuated, and recording continues until the current identification signal is no longer the same as the stored signal.