Abstract

A user friendly method for regulating the media environment of a television viewer by controlling content displayed on the television. The method controls content in response to a viewer's profile, accumulated viewing time and at least one content classification source. A viewer's profile is provided by a user which determines guidelines for an individual viewer. Content classification values for television are received and stored in response to a viewer's request for viewing a program. The content classification values correspond to television program availability and values attributed to viewing time. The content classification values are categorized into desirable content and undesirable content. The viewer profile data associates a viewer with a content classification value. Thereafter, the quantity of time a viewer spends viewing desirable content and the quantity of time a viewer spends viewing undesirable content is determined. In response to a multidimensional user selected censorship structure, the media environment of the viewer is regulated. The censorship structure utilizes variables such as content classification values, rating value, rankings of rating sources and viewing time credits for desirable material and viewing time debits for undesirable material. Additionally, the method down-loads the content classification values from multiple sources utilizing an interconnected computer. Many sources can be queried utilizing the user selected ranking of rating sources and the user can edit the ratings. The present invention controls the television environment in response to past behavior of a viewer.