network 40 in the illustrative example the source of interactive content 42 includes an interactive content database 44 that is controlled by a remote interactive content server 46 in this embodiment when a viewer is viewing a broadcast presentation 20 on his or her display device 16 he or she may also simultaneously view interactive content that is relevant to the broadcast presentation 20 being viewed in order to ensure that the interactive content is in fact relevant to the broadcast presentation information identifying and characterizing the broadcast presentation must be provided to the interactive content server 46 the present invention contemplates a number of means by which such identifying and characterizing information can be provided to the interactive content server for example a viewer may provide identifying information to his or her viewer computer 14 using input device 20 alternatively the cpu 22 querying the broadcast receiver 24 to identify the source of the broadcast signal 20 being viewed may identify the broadcast presentation being viewed the cpu may then determine from the date and time that the particular broadcast presentation 20 is being viewed and the source of the broadcast including the identity of the broadcast presentation in another example a location of the viewer 39 s computer coupled with the date time and received channel can be used to identify the broadcast presentation being viewed location information can be obtained by for example a zip code input provided by the viewer to the viewer computer via input device 18 a gps receiver attached to the viewer computer or a.