The Directv Group, Inc.

Hughes Electronics Corporation

James E Yokers

Richard F Purpura

Dien Nguyen

Joseph T Hayes

Jason Y Shimizu

Dennis N Tan

Richard J Echeita

A system and method for operating an ad extraction and reconciliation system for a broadcast system includes an extraction manager module that receives an advertisement schedule for an advertisement from an ad sales module. The system also includes a controller module that receives broadcast channel schedule data for broadcast channel signal from a broadcast channel system and generating an advertising content data request signal for advertising content data including an advertisement content identifier for the advertisement. The ad extraction manager module forms an advertisement insertion schedule having advertisement content identifier and an advertising insertion spot associated with the advertising content identifier. The controller communicates the advertisement insertion schedule to a broadcast scheduling system.

Method and system for automating advertising insertion and reconciliation

A system and method for operating an ad extraction and reconciliation system for a broadcast system includes an extraction manager module that receives an advertisement schedule for an advertisement from an ad sales module. The system also includes a controller module that receives broadcast channel schedule data for broadcast channel signal from a broadcast channel system and generating an advertising content data request signal for advertising content data including an advertisement content identifier for the advertisement. The ad extraction manager module forms an advertisement insertion schedule having advertisement content identifier and an advertising insertion spot associated with the advertising content identifier. The controller communicates the advertisement insertion schedule to a broadcast scheduling system. The system also includes an as-run manager module that receives as-run data including the advertising identifier and a run time of the advertisement after the advertisement was inserted into the broadcast channel signal according to the broadcast scheduling system at an automation system.

The apparatus and method of the present invention utilize the digital packetized transmission features of a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) system to provide an automated and efficient method of conducting advertisement reconciliation. The apparatus and method of the present invention inserts advertisement reconciliation data packets into the transmitted DBS data stream. Preferably, the inserted reconciliation data packets are transmitted synchronously with the advertisement data packets to which they are related. The reconciliation data may include data identifying the date on which the advertisement is aired, the time at which the advertisement is aired, the duration of the advertisement as aired, the contract number under which the advertisement was purchased, the particular order line number of the contract under which the advertisement was purchased, the 'makegood' status (indicates whether the advertisement is a makegood an advertisement that was missed), the scheduled time and duration of the advertisement, and an identification code identifying a particular advertisement.

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Castaic, CA, United States of America

James E Yokers