This Technical Specification establishes the method of referencing used within a TPEG data-stream to allow a service provider to signal availability of the same service on another bearer channel or similar service data from another service. TPEG is a byte-oriented stream format, which may be carried on almost any digital bearer with an appropriate adaptation layer. TPEG messages are delivered from service providers to end-users, and are used to transfer application data from the database of a service provider to a user’s equipment. The protocol is structured in a layered manner and employs a general purpose framing system which is adaptable and extensible, and which carries frames of variable length. This has been designed with the capability of explicit frame length identification at nearly all levels, giving greater flexibility and integrity, and permitting the modification of the protocol and the addition of new features without disturbing the operation of earlier client decoder models.