To shorten work time from the reproduction stop of a program material, such as maintenance, to recovery and operation confirmation by enabling reproduction in the halfway of the program material, and to reduce work costs.

A program sending system comprises video/sound sending equipment 101 for recording and reproducing video/sound signals, and sending control equipment 102 for controlling the video/sound sending equipment for recording and reproduction, and reproduces and sends the recorded program material. In this case, material standby information, and the reception time of a material reproduction start signal from the outside are stored in the video/sound sending equipment from the sending control equipment 102. In this case, when the recorded, prescribed program material is reproduced halfway, halfway reproduction starting time is calculated which starts the reproduction of the prescribed program material after prescribed time from current time, and the prescribed program material is reproduced and sent halfway, based on the standby information of the stored, prescribed program material and the reproduction starting time.