A method for selectively suppressing undesired program segments from a broadcast television signal is provided. Program information is received from a service provider and includes program segment specific content rating information which is compared with stored user defined preferences (208). When the user preferences indicate an undesired program content (e.g., violence, sexual situations, etc.), a time compensation factor is calculated to remove the undesired program segments and display the program uninterrupted to the user without the unwanted material. The time compensation can be in the form of a delayed program start (230), extension of desired segments (231), or a combination of both.