Micz Flor Wrote:
> dear livesupport dev list,
>
> the best outcome from the armenian visit was to analyse their advertisment
> procedure. how are they collected, scheduled, charged and what does the
> customer receive as a proof of broadcast, or media plan as they call it.
>
> i am currently writing a document describing this process. this will go
> onto the list for discussion.
>
> before this is finished i would already like to pop a question on the list
> to the developers:
>
> little use scenario: the ad department is collecting advertisments and
> there will be some kind of mechanism to build playlists based on the sold
> packages. there will be some kind of mechanism by which uploaded ad clips
> will find their way in ad playlists.
>
> but... how will these playlists find their way into the day to day radio
> process? it seems to me that there are two main problems with the advert
> playlists.
>
> a) live mode (ls studio) - the dj needs to see if and when adverts MUST be
> played to fullfill the contracts with advertisment partners. so there
> might
> need to be an extra window with ad playlists in the waiting and alert
> blinking when they MUST be played.
>
> b) scheduled (ls station) the ad playlists will all come in different
> length and shapes. changes in the ad department must find their way into
> the scheduled programmes. so the playlists need to react flexibly to the
> advert playlists. either:
> a) smart playlists will need to *fill* the space between ad breaks with
> content or
> b) playlists can be scheduled ON TOP OF other playlists so that the
> programme will fade out, the ad starts and after the ad break the
> programme
> fades in again.
>
> what are the developer ideas of such necessities?
>
> thanks,
>
> Micz Flor - micz@mi.cz
>
> content and media development http://mi.cz
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.campware.org -- http://crash.mi.cz -- http://sue.mi.cz
> "I will be very direct, because we have no time to waste."
> (Sava Tatic)
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>
>

a) The standard is to have one log file that has all of the advertisements
(hereafter referred to as "spots") scheduled per contracts previously
agreed upon with the advertiser. There is normally a separate "Traffic"
system that contains all of the contracts and generates this log based on
a user-defined template. This template breaks up a 24 hour day into time
slots that are allotted for music, news/weather updates, advertisements
etc.

The Traffic system is also responsible for tracking the exact date and
time each spot airs and generates a monthly bill that reflects the time,
date and rate of each spot which is then mailed out to the advertiser for
payment.

In "Live Mode" it is the DJ's responsibility to follow the log and ensure
each spot airs according to the log. Depending on the sophistication of
the automation system, the DJ is also responsible for noting the exact
times each spot airs and the following day someone else is responsible for
updating the Traffic system with these exact times.


b) There are several ways to accomplish this. One is to have a Traffic
system generate a template that includes the spots and what times are
available for music. Whatever system you have to schedule music should
then be able to use this template and fill in the areas that are allotted
for music, liners, etc. with the appropriate audio pieces.

The point is, all of your advertisements (or "spots") have to be treated
in the same manner as every other piece of audio in your system. They
need to be assigned unique numbers (normally referred to as "Cart
Numbers") to ease in tracking, scheduling and production. They also need
to be scheduled along with all other audio pieces based on your
pre-defined template for the day.

If you would like LS to be a fully functioning automation system, you must
find a way to either incorporate your own Traffic system or make LS
compatible with existing Traffic systems.


Thank You,

Dan S. Johnson
trafficKing@amellus.com

At 22:52 20.09.2005, you wrote:
>If you would like LS to be a fully functioning automation system, you must
>find a way to either incorporate your own Traffic system or make LS
>compatible with existing Traffic systems.

hi dan,

thanks for the explanation. could you point us towards a traffic system
that you like to work with?

i have been following a station in armenia in the office and taken their
"social" workflow and management of advertisment clients as a blueprint of
the way in which a software for ad management should sit between
livesupport, the radio station and the ad clients. in fact, a lot of web
banner functionality could be in place, i.e. external clients planning
their campaigns over the internet to some extent (if they want to) and only
THEN contacting the radio management for budget issues and finalising the
campaign deal.

will post this soon. (problem being that i wiped the document from my other
laptop when reinstalling windows after virus related HD crash. grrrrr. hope
i have it somewhere.)

Micz Flor - micz@mi.cz

content and media development http://mi.cz
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>as most "Traffic
>Systems" claim to be compatible with all Radio Automation systems. I
>believe this only means they are able to customize a Log File that is sent
>to an Automation system. I would be happy to provide an example of a log
>file if you are interested in seeing one.

yes, please. i don't know if there are open standards for such log files in
existence. for video editing for example you have the EDL (edit decision
list, i think) that allows to migrate in and out markers and transitions
between editing suites.

so, yes, if you could provide one that would be the open swing door to
reverse engineering


Micz Flor - micz@mi.cz

content and media development http://mi.cz
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