Fox Broadcasting Company, LLC

William Bradford

Edward A Skolarus

David Bradley Wertheimer

Joseph B Earley

Michael S Corwin

Nicole H Ruby

Matthew Moroz

Ori Nakar

Bryan J Gonzalez

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for allocating and committing votes in a variety of voting paradigms is described. In one embodiment, the method describes a system applicable in a plurality of time zones and comprises determining if an allocation of at least a portion of Nvotes among one or more candidates is received from a first user via a first device during a first period, accepting and storing the allocation of votes, only if the allocation is received during the first period, receiving a user command committing the stored allocation of the Nvotes among the plurality of candidates, determining if the command is received during a second period, and committing the stored first user allocation of Nvotes among the one or more candidates only if the command is received during the second period.

Method and apparatus for batch voting on live broadcasts

A system and method for generating or increasing viewership of a broadcast of an episode of a series by an affiliate to a plurality of receiver stations is disclosed. A live prefacing media program is transmitted to users within an affiliates market in such a way that does not conflict with the affiliate's exclusive right to transmit a media program within that market. The live prefacing media program includes media program clips from previous episodes of a series, and users can vote on their favorite media program clips. Such votes alter the content presented in the live prefacing media program. Transmission of the live prefacing media program terminates when the affiliates broadcast of the next episode of the series begins, thus encouraging or 'throwing' viewers to view that episode.

Method and apparatus for increasing viewership of broadcast programming

Growing community of inventors

Westlake Village, CA, United States of America

William Bradford