A broadcast program recording apparatus locates a start position of a target broadcast program preset to be recorded, even if a program preceding the target broadcast program is broadcast for an extended time period. In a record/playback apparatus 100, a silence detecting unit 108 detects silent frames and calculates a segment period between detected silent frames. An index registering unit 109 judges whether a program broadcast during the segment period is a CM. If judged in the affirmative, the record/playback apparatus 100 adds the segment period to the total CM period. If judged in the negative, it is further judged whether the total CM period exceeds a threshold. On judging that the threshold is exceeded, the record/playback apparatus 100 generates an index entry composed of a content ID and the display time of a silent frame that is broadcast between the CM and a broadcast program, and stores the index entry to the index storage unit 104.