Method and System for Controlling a Scheduling Order Per Category in a Music Scheduling System

• US 20130212589A1
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Clear Channel Management Services LP (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Attwell, Nigel
• Granted Patent: US 9,135,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4887 involving deadlines, e.g. rate based, periodic
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a scheduling order per category is disclosed. A scheduling order can be designated for the delivery and playback of multimedia content (e.g., music, news, other audio, advertising, etc.) with respect to particular slots within the scheduling order. The scheduling order can be configured to include a forward order per category or a reverse order per category with respect to the playback of the multimedia content in order to control the scheduling order for the eventual airplay of the multimedia content over a radio station or network of associated radio stations. A reverse scheduling technique provides an ideal rotation of songs when a pre-programmed show interferes with a normal rotation. Any rotational compromises can be buried in off-peak audience listening hours of the programming day using the disclosed reverse scheduling technique.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scheduling playback of content based on a scheduling order in at least one time slot of a programming day in a reverse order, the at least one time slot preceding a pre-programmed multimedia content, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus; and

restricting a compromise of the scheduling order to an off-peak time slot of the programming day, the compromise schedules playback of content in the off-peak time slot such that playback of multimedia content, in at least a portion of off-peak time slots, interrupts the scheduling order, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, the scheduling playback of content comprising:

initiating the scheduling in a last time slot of a plurality of time slots of the programming day, the last time slot immediately preceding the pre-programmed multimedia content, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus; and

completing the scheduling throughout a remainder of the plurality of time slots of the programming day in the reverse order, such that content is scheduled for playback based on the scheduling order through the plurality of time slots, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

initiating scheduling of playback of content based on the scheduling order in at least one of a plurality of off-peak time slots of a programming day in a forward order, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus; and

in response to determining that scheduling a last off-peak time slot in the forward order interrupts the scheduling order throughout the last off-peak time slot and an immediately-following time slot scheduled in the reverse order, performing a scheduling compromise by scheduling playback of content in the last off-peak time slot in the reverse order such that playback of content in a pattern that interrupts the scheduling order is restricted to at least a portion of off-peak time slots, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus.

4. The method of claim 3 comprising:

configuring the scheduling order to include the forward order per at least one first category and the reverse order per at least one second category with respect to the playback of the multimedia content, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising:

associating at least one unslotted position in at least one time slot with the at least one second category, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus;

scheduling the at least one unslotted position in the reverse order with respect to the at least one second category over a particular time period, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus; and

designating the at least one second category as reverse scheduled, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus.

6. The method of claim 4 comprising:

associating at least one unslotted position in at least one time slot with at least one theme position, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus;

scheduling the unslotted position in the reverse order with respect to the at least one theme position over a particular time period, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus; and

designating the at least one theme position as reverse scheduled, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus.

7. The method of claim 4 comprising:

associating at least one unslotted position in at least one time slot with at least one twofer position, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus;

scheduling the unslotted position in the reverse order with respect to the at least one twofer position over a particular time period, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus; and

designating the at least one twofer position as reverse scheduled, by executing a program instruction in a data processing apparatus.

8. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer code, the computer code comprising a program of instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

scheduling playback of content based on a scheduling order in at least one time slot of a programming day in a reverse order, the at least one time slot preceding a pre-programmed multimedia content; and

restricting a compromise of the scheduling order to an off-peak time slot of the programming day, the compromise schedules playback of content in the off-peak time slot such that playback of multimedia content, in at least a portion of off-peak time slots, interrupts the scheduling order.

9. The system of claim 8, the program of instructions configured for:

initiating the scheduling in a last time slot of a plurality of time slots of the programming day, the last time slot immediately preceding the pre-programmed multimedia content; and

completing the scheduling throughout a remainder of the plurality of time slots of the programming day in the reverse order, such that content is scheduled for playback based on the scheduling order through the plurality of time slots.

10. The system of claim 9, the program of instructions configured for:

initiating scheduling of playback of content based on the scheduling order in at least one of a plurality of off-peak time slots of a programming day in a forward order; and

in response to determining that scheduling a last off-peak time slot in the forward order interrupts the scheduling order throughout the last off-peak time slot and an immediately-following time slot scheduled in the reverse order, performing a scheduling compromise by scheduling playback of content in the last off-peak time slot such that playback of content in a pattern that interrupts the scheduling order is restricted to at least a portion of off-peak time slots.

11. The system of claim 10, the program of instructions configured for:

configuring the scheduling order to include the forward order per at least one first category and the reverse order per at least one second category with respect to the playback of the multimedia content.

12. The system of claim 11, the program of instructions configured for:

associating at least one unslotted position in at least one time slot with the at least one second category;

scheduling the unslotted position in the reverse order with respect to the at least one second category over a particular time period; and

designating the at least one second category as reverse scheduled.

13. The system of claim 11, the program of instructions configured for:

associating at least one unslotted position in at least one time slot with at least one theme position;

scheduling the unslotted position in the reverse order with respect to the at least one theme position over a particular time period; and

designating the at least one theme position as reverse scheduled.

14. The system of claim 11, the program of instructions configured for:

associating at least one unslotted position in at least one time slot with at least one twofer position;

scheduling the unslotted position in the reverse order with respect to the at least one twofer position over a particular time period; and

designating the at least one twofer position as reverse scheduled.

15. A non-transitory computer-usable medium, the computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising a computer-executable program of instructions configured for:

scheduling playback of content based on a scheduling order in at least one time slot of a programming day in a reverse order, the at least one time slot preceding a pre-programmed multimedia content; and

restricting a compromise of the scheduling order to an off-peak time slot of the programming day, the compromise schedules playback of content in the off-peak time slot such that playback of multimedia content, in at least a portion of off-peak time slots, interrupts the scheduling order.

16. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 15, the computer-executable program of instructions configured for:

initiating the scheduling in a last time slot of a plurality of time slots of the programming day, the last time slot immediately preceding the pre-programmed multimedia content; and

completing the scheduling throughout a remainder of the plurality of time slots of the programming day in the reverse order, such that content is scheduled for playback based on the scheduling order through the plurality of time slots.

17. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 16, the computer-executable program of instructions configured for:

initiating scheduling of playback of content based on the scheduling order in at least one of a plurality of off-peak time slots of a programming day in a forward order; and

in response to determining that scheduling a last off-peak time slot in the forward order interrupts the scheduling order throughout the last off-peak time slot and an immediately-following time slot scheduled in the reverse order, performing a scheduling compromise by scheduling playback of content in the last off-peak time slot such that playback of content in a pattern that interrupts the scheduling order is restricted to at least a portion of off-peak time slots.

18. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 17, the computer-executable program of instructions configured for:

configuring the scheduling order to include the forward order per at least one first category and the reverse order per at least one second category with respect to the playback of the multimedia content.

19. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 18, the computer-executable program of instructions configured for:

associating at least one unslotted position in at least one time slot with the at least one second category;

scheduling the unslotted position in the reverse order with respect to the at least one second category over a particular time period; and

designating the at least one second category as reverse scheduled.

20. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 18, the computer-executable program of instructions configured for:

associating at least one unslotted position in at least one time slot with at least one theme position;

scheduling the unslotted position in the reverse order with respect to the at least one theme position over a particular time period; and

designating the at least one theme position as reverse scheduled.