We have now added a unique function for networks. Spot breaks no longer must have locked-in/must-fill segments of specific lengths.
Stations using syndicated formats are accustomed to having to fill the local breaks with a pre-set amount of content. If the network formats local breaks of two minutes, the affiliate stations always have to have two minutes local content. If they’ve sold only 90 seconds for a particular break, they have to fill with a :30 PSA or maybe a bonus spot for a good customer.
Now, when Music 1 is providing the network’s music scheduling and when the affiliate stations are using TrafficONE to schedule their local advertising, the need for non-productive fillers is eliminated. We call it Break Balancing; whereby each station in a network will fill a break to match the length the same break has on the station with the highest volume of spots. That way each break during simulcast sections of programming will be of the same length but filling will be done based on the demand of the busiest station. Each local spot break fluctuates with the spot-load of the Master station. Here’s how it works:
- The company owns three stations, the daily Music 1 music schedule is broadcast by all three.
- Each station uses TrafficONE, one of them is designated as the Master station, this will be the one that consistently has the fullest advertising schedules, the heaviest spot loads.
- When TrafficONE’sat stations #2 and #3 begin scheduling their local ad orders, they first query the Master to determine how long the spot breaks are. So for example, if the 6:10 break is 90 seconds at the Master, then the corresponding 6:10 break in stations #2 and #3 will be filled with 90 seconds. If the 6:40 break on the Master station is 3:30, then Traffecta will require the concurrent breaks in #2 and #3 to equal that content.
If you’d like to know more about this exotic function, talk with Steve or Neil at the M1 offices.