1. A method for assigning an information category to a multicast address in a network, comprising steps of: accessing a plurality of information categories, a plurality of subscribers, and a plurality of multicast addresses associated with the network; generating, by a planner, a plurality of assignment solutions, each assignment solution having a plurality of assignments, each assignment assigning a select information category to a select multicast address, each assignment solution having a wastage penalty; and selecting an assignment solution as a final assignment solution, the final assignment solution having a lower wastage penalty than most other assignment solutions; wherein the generating step further comprises steps of: (a) producing a current assignment solution by generating assignments for each information category; (b) calculating the wastage penalty for the current assignment solution; (c) producing a candidate assignment solution by generating assignments for each information category, the candidate assignment solution differing from the current assignment solution; (d) calculating the wastage penalty for the candidate assignment solution; (e) comparing the wastage penalty for the current assignment solution with the wastage penalty for the candidate assignment solution; and (f) updating the current assignment solution with the candidate assignment solution when the wastage penalty for the candidate assignment solution is lower than the wastage penalty for the current assignment.