Iheartmedia Management Services, Inc.

Clear Channel Management Services, Inc.

Heartmedia Management Services, Inc.

Bank of America Corporation

David C Jellison, Jr

Jeffrey Lee Littlejohn

Philippe Generali

Darren Grant Davis

Richard A Ramirez

Joseph Kubon, Iii

Robert Glenn Speicher, Jr

Kohinoor Basu

Bobbi Denise Schuster

Daniel N MacTiernan

Steven M Gable

José Antonio Carbajal Orozco

Jeffrey James Bengel

Steve Mills

Vijay Jayakumar

Adam Zastawski

Riad Edelbi

Periklis Beltas

Matthew M Ferry

David R Murray

Jonathan David Earley

Martin Blazek

Shawn Coffman

Koushik Kannan

Dustin Bond

Dwight Douglas

Christopher John Voce

Mark R Allen

Curt Lutringer

Joseph Brewer

John W Fulbright

Matthew D Ferry

Todd Louis Goldberg

Inputs configuring a GUI to concurrently display a first On-Air display region (FOADR) and a second On-Air display region (SOADR) are received. The FOADR and SOADR each include: a station selector; a media ID area; and at least one play control associated with corresponding media ID areas. The station selectors in the FOADR and SOADR receive input specifying selected media stations. The media ID areas in the FOADR and SOADR are populated with IDs of media items to be aired on the selected media stations. Airing of media items by the selected media stations is controlled using the play controls included in the FOADR and SOADR.

Controlling multiple media stations or streams using a single graphical user interface

A plurality of media files to be broadcast is stored in accordance with a broadcast schedule, wherein the plurality of media files include media content. A speech audio file, including speech content, is obtained, and a determination is made regarding whether the speech content included in the speech audio file includes a reference to particular media content included in a particular media file of the plurality of media files. A linkage is created between the speech audio file and the particular media file, and the speech audio file is inserted in a position within the broadcast schedule based on the linkage between the speech audio file and the particular media file.

Inserting speech audio file into schedule based on linkage to a media item

A streaming end-user media device includes memory storing a program of instructions, and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to execute the program of instructions to access media automation services provided by media-provider back-end systems via a cloud-based sequencer, and detect unavailability of the cloud-based sequencer. In response to detecting the unavailability of the cloud-based sequencer, disconnect the streaming end-user media device from the cloud-based sequencer, and initiate a separate connection to the media-provider back-end systems using a link that bypasses the cloud-based sequencer.

Outage handling by streaming end-user media device

A broadcast order placed by a requestor is received at a first processing device configured to implement an automated media scheduling system. The broadcast order includes a request to prohibit placement of at least one media item within a threshold proximity of a restricted media show. In response to receiving the broadcast order, the automated media scheduling system modifies at least one record associated with the requestor to indicate the request. During automated schedule generation, the automated media scheduling system prevents the at least one media item from being scheduled within the threshold proximity of the restricted media show.

Automatically restricting placement of media items within a media schedule

A method includes providing a media playout system (MPS) access to a plurality of media automation services via a master API. The MPS transmits media station content to end-users. The master API transmits, to the MPS, at least one media delivery schedule indicating scheduled media items to be transmitted by the media playout system to the end-users, and receives a change request from a first media playout system. The change request indicates a requested change in one or more media items scheduled for transmission by the media playout system to the end-users. The API transmits the change request to a first media automation service, selected by the master API based on the requested change, receives from the first media automation service updated media delivery information responsive to the change request, and transmits the updated media delivery information from the master API to the first media playout system.

Change requests in media broadcast content distribution system

A cloud-based application is implemented on a processing system in communication with a media automation system via a communications network. The cloud-based application includes instructions to obtain user information associated with a user of the cloud-based application, to transmit the user information through the communications network to the media automation system, and to transmit a request for available media items through the communications network to the media automation system, which selects available media items in accordance with the user information. In response to its request for available media items, the cloud-based application receives from the media automation system a message identifying at least one media item to be delivered to the user. The cloud-based application transmits the at least one media item to the user of the cloud-based application via the communications network.

Cooperation between cloud-based application and media automation system for content delivery

Multiple main sequences of media items played by a plurality of different media stations are identified. Each main sequence includes one or more content items, and potentially includes syndicated content. At least one main sequence is removed from further consideration, leaving a plurality of remaining main sequences. The at least one main sequence is removed from consideration based, at least in part, on a number of content items included in the at least one main sequence. Consolidated main sequences are generated by merging one or more remaining main sequences satisfying a consolidation criterion. Each consolidated main sequence includes two or more remaining main sequences. The consolidated main sequences are compared to determine whether syndicated content was played on a particular media station.

Manipulation of sequences to identify stations playing syndicated content

A method includes beginning to broadcast primary media content at a primary media server. Concurrently with beginning to broadcast the primary media content, beginning to stream the primary media content into a primary media queue at a secondary media server. At the secondary media server, broadcasting secondary media content from a secondary media queue until the primary media queue includes sufficient content to satisfy a fill threshold. In response to determining that the fill threshold has been satisfied, switching from broadcasting the secondary media content from the secondary media queue to broadcasting the primary media content from the primary media queue.

Primary and secondary media queues

A podcast creation and publishing method for execution by a computer system that includes defining, via a graphical user interface, a transitional relationship between at least two media events of a plurality of media events, where a first media event and a second media event at least partially overlap. The method further includes updating corresponding metadata associated with the first and second media events to include the transitional relationship. The method further includes selecting, from a drop down menu displayed on the graphical user interface, an option to generate a podcast from the plurality of media events. The method further includes generating the podcast from the plurality of media events by retrieving the plurality of media events from the media event database along with the metadata, converting the plurality of media events and the metadata into a common format to produce the podcast, and distributing the podcast over a network.

Podcast interface

A device manager includes a processor and memory, coupled to the processor, that stores a program of instructions. The processor is configured to execute the program of instructions to determine an availability of at least a portion of a cloud-based media management system configured to provide media automation services to a managed device, and in response to determining that the at least a portion of a cloud-based media management system is unavailable, transmit a status message to the managed device, wherein the status message indicates that the managed device is to emulate the at least a portion of a cloud-based media management system.

Device manager managing media system disaster operations

A first device is associated with a first media station, and obtains content information associated with a first media item. The content information includes the first media item and first metadata associated with the first media item. The first device stores storing the content information, and obtains remote system information indicating one or more media items to be broadcast by a second media station. The remote system information includes second metadata associated with the one or more media items. The content information and the remote system information are correlated, and the first device conditionally transmits the first media item to a second device associated with the second media station in accordance with a result of the correlation.

Transferring content to other media stations

A voice track (VT) device obtains a talent-to-master schedule and a station-to-master schedule. A master broadcast log, which includes an empty master VT associated with a user, is identified based on the talent-to-master schedule. The master broadcast log is displayed in a GUI on the VT recording device. User input selecting the empty master VT is received. Subscribing stations that use the identified master broadcast log as a basis for generating station broadcast logs are identified based on the station-to-master schedule, and obtained from the stations. For each station broadcast log that includes a station VT corresponding to the empty master VT, a match status is determined. The match status indicates whether media items scheduled for broadcast in slots adjacent to the station VT differ from media items scheduled for broadcast in slots adjacent to the empty master VT. Match statuses of station VTs corresponding to the empty master VT are displayed on a child window of the GUI.

Multiple station voice track conflict avoidance

A transfer time, at which control of automatically inserting advertisements into a broadcast is to be passed from a first advertisement management system to a second advertisement management system, is scheduled to occur within a spot break. During a first portion of the spot break controlled by the first advertisement management system, a determination is made that playout of a final advertisement scheduled for broadcast during the first portion of the spot break cannot be completed prior to the transfer time. A run-last-spot parameter indicating whether the first advertisement management system is permitted to pass control of automatically inserting advertisements into the broadcast prior to the transfer time is obtained. Control of automatically inserting advertisements into the broadcast is conditionally passed from the first advertisement management system to the second advertisement management system based on the run-last-spot parameter.

Split control of spot breaks

A media distribution device receives media content including media items to be broadcast. the media items include common media items to be delivered to end users by each of multiple different media delivery devices. 'Common' refers to the fact that the same media items are delivered by the media delivery devices, and does not mean “ordinary.” The common media items are processed into first chunks and second chunks. The sizes of the first chunks the second chunks are different, with the size of the first chunks determined based at least in part on a first media delivery schedule associated with a first media delivery device and the size of the second chunks determined based at least in part on a second media delivery schedule associated with a second media delivery device. The first chunks are transmitted to the first media delivery device, and the second chunks are delivered to the second media delivery device.

Transmitting media item to different destinations using different sized chunks

An application programming interface (API) receives broadcast-related information from media automation applications. A traffic log is received from a first media automation application configured to generate a traffic log associated with a media station, and spot information associated with spots included in the traffic log is received from at least a second media automation application. The API stores the broadcast-related information, including the traffic log and the spot information, in one or more databases. The API also receives, from a media playout system, at least one request for the stored broadcast-related information. The media playout system is configured to insert media content into a media broadcast associated with the media station. The API provides the requested broadcast-related information to the media playout system, which inserts the media content into the media broadcast associated with the media station.

Growing community of inventors

Ogallala, NE, United States of America

David C Jellison, Jr