"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in <news:eC2OAeyyIHA.2188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl>:

> Television stations are now making programmes available for download - which
> will "self destruct" in x days. I am curious as to how this works and
> concerned that either the programmes themselves or the mechanism by which
> they "self destruct" may be used as a means of doing nasty things to
> computers.
>
> Any info please?
>
> Bill Ridgeway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management

I'm sure expiration is also one of the attributes that can be assigned
in the DRM attributes of the file.

Since you didn't bother to provide an example URL that shows a web page
describing the "self-destruct" movie (what you're calling "programmes"),
no one but you really know what they (or you) might mean by that term.