Dynamic talk radio program scheduling

• US 8,494,899 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Concert Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lemi Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Issa, Alfredo C., Amidon, Chris, Evans, Gregory M., Pons, Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga B.
• Application Number:
  US12/326,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20120066038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/9, 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals

Abstract

Methods and systems for dynamically scheduling a talk radio program include registering potential participants of a talk radio program service and receiving participant preferences for each of the potential participants, wherein the participant preferences include at least one topic of interest and a time availability; scheduling a talk radio program for production when a combination the participant preferences reach predetermined thresholds; and sending the potential participants a notification of the scheduling of the talk radio program.

Claims

1. A method performed via a server computer, comprising:

registering potential participants of a talk radio program service via the server computer;

receiving participant preferences for each of the potential participants via the server computer, wherein the participant preferences include at least one topic of interest and a time availability;

scheduling a talk radio program for production via the server computer when a combination of the participant preferences reach predetermined thresholds; and

sending the potential participants a notification of the scheduling of the talk radio program via the server computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the potential participants include participants selected from a group comprising at least one of potential listeners of the talk radio program, potential hosts, potential guests, and potential advertisers.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the participant preferences further include the time availability of any of the potential listeners, the potential hosts, the potential guests, and the potential advertisers.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising assigning the topic of interest to the talk radio program based on availability of any of the potential listeners, the potential hosts, the potential guests, and the potential advertisers.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising scheduling the talk radio program for production when resource parameters comprise one or more predetermined values.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the resource parameters include the participant preferences and at least one of advertisement revenue generated from sponsorship by at least one of the potential advertisers, and costs of the talk radio program.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving for each of the potential hosts and the potential guests a desired fee for participating in the talk radio program.

8. The method of claim 2 providing information regarding the talk radio program to the potential advertisers such that the potential advertisers can make sponsorship decisions.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving from at least one of the potential hosts, the potential guests, and the potential advertisers, a bid to participate in a potential talk radio program regarding a preselected topic.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the notification via at least one of a short messaging service (SMS), an e-mail, a voicemail, and an in-application notification.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending information with the notification including any of program details, program times, a program score, sponsor information, and an URL to a program stream of an Internet talk radio program.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the talk radio program comprises one of an Internet talk radio program and a terrestrial talk radio program.

13. A system, comprising:

a server;

a radio program process executing on the server that functions to;

register potential participants of a talk radio program service and receive participant preferences for each of the potential participants, wherein the participant preferences include at least one topic of interest and a time availability;

schedule a talk radio program for production when a combination the participant preferences reach predetermined thresholds; and

send the potential participants a notification of the scheduling of the talk radio program.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the potential participants include participants selected from a group comprising at least one of potential listeners of the talk radio program, potential hosts, potential guests, and potential advertisers.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the participant preferences further include the time availability of any of the potential listeners, the potential hosts, the potential guests, and the potential advertisers.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the radio program process assigns the talk radio program the topic of interest based on availability of any of the potential listeners, the potential hosts, the potential guests, and the potential advertisers.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the radio program process schedules the talk radio program for production when resource parameters comprise one or more predetermined values.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the resource parameters include the participant preferences and at least one of advertisement revenue generated from sponsorship by at least one of the potential advertisers, and costs of the talk radio program.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the radio program process receives for each of the potential hosts and the potential guests a desired fee for participating in the talk radio program.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein information regarding the talk radio program is provided to the potential advertisers such that the potential advertisers can make sponsorship decisions.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the radio program process receives from at least one of the potential hosts, the potential guests, and the potential advertisers, a bid to participate in a potential talk radio program regarding a preselected topic.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the radio program process sends the notification via at least one of a short messaging service (SMS), an e-mail, a voicemail, and an in application notification.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the radio program process sends information with the notification including any of program details, program times, a program score, sponsor information, and an URL to a program stream of an Internet talk radio program.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the talk radio program comprises one of an Internet talk radio program and a terrestrial talk radio program.

25. An executable software product stored on a computer-readable medium containing program instructions for scheduling a talk radio program, the instructions comprising:

registering potential participants of a talk radio program service at a server computer;

receiving participant preferences for each of the potential participants via the server computer, wherein the participant preferences include at least one topic of interest and a time availability;

scheduling the talk radio program for production via the server computer when a combination of the participant preferences reach predetermined thresholds; and

sending the potential participants a notification of the scheduling of the talk radio program via the server computer.

26. A method for providing a talk radio service via a server computer, comprising:

registering potential listeners via the server computer and receiving for each of the potential listeners, a first topic of interest and a potential listener time availability;

registering potential hosts via the server computer and receiving for each of the potential hosts, a second topic of interest and a potential host time availability;

periodically analyzing the potential listener time availability via the server computer to determine that there is a sufficient cluster of the potential listeners available at a particular time for a particular topic to schedule a talk radio program, and analyzing the potential host time availability to determine that at least one of the potential hosts is available at the particular time for the particular topic;

scheduling the talk radio program for production via the server computer by selecting the potential listeners and anyone of the potential hosts determined to be available for the particular topic; and

sending to the potential listeners and to anyone of the potential hosts determined to be available for the particular topic a notification of the scheduling of the talk radio program via the server computer.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising providing information regarding the talk radio program to potential advertisers such that the potential advertisers can make sponsorship decisions for the talk radio program.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

registering potential guests and receiving for each of the potential guests, a third topic of interest and a potential guest time availability;

analyzing the potential just time availability to determine that at least one of the potential guests is available at the particular time for the particular topic;

scheduling the talk radio program by selecting the potential listeners, any of the potential hosts, and any of the potential guests determined to be available for the particular topic; and

sending to the potential listeners, to any of the potential hosts, and to any of the potential guests determined to be available for the particular topic the notification of the scheduling of the talk radio program.