How do we cover long periods of programming? (Roadblocks / Blackouts)

Long Form Cover periods (also sometimes referred to as Blackouts) should be used when you need to play different audio on-line than what will play on air while ignoring any incoming data from the automation system.  For example if you need to cover a NFL game, NASCAR race or some other form of on air programming which the station does not have the rights to play on-line.

(See Whiteouts for creating a scenario where the stream needs to play EXACTLY what is playing on air with no Injection, while ignoring all automation system data).

Long Form Cover Periods replace the audio and can be triggered by one of two methods; you can set up a Cover Period based solely on time, or you can setup a Long Form Cover Period based on some piece of data that the automation system (generally cart id or category code) sends to the Injector. Time based cover periods are good for when you know the exact time and day that the station will need to be covering the on air audio and for when you know exactly how long that cover period needs to last. 

Data based cover periods are best used in scenarios where the station needs to cover many items that start at different times on different days and last for different durations but always start with a specific element that is played on air at the open of the play-by-play or event and always close the special programming segment with another, different piece of on air content (ex. game opens and game closes).

For a download-able PDF including screen shots on creating a Timed Blackout click here.

To setup Timed Triggers (time bases blackouts) do the following:
1. Log into your andomedia.com account
2. Click on the Injector Manager link
3. Choose the proper station from the "Filter to show inventory for station:" drop down list and click Continue
4. Click on the TEMPLATE DESIGNER link
5. When the Template Designer opens, choose a letter from the drop down list that DOES NOT have an * next to it, for example Template Z
6.  When Template Z loads uncheck any boxes that might be selected by default
7. Check Song in all 10 columns of the Template
8. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click Save
9. Return to the station inventory screen
10. Click the Cart Trigger Editor link in the nav bar
11. In the lower-middle section of the screen, choose New Timed Trigger
12. Uncheck any days on which this trigger should NOT be active
13. Set the start time (in a 24 hour format where 08:00:00 is 8AM, and 14:00:00 is 2PM)
14. Set the duration that the stream should remain in cover in a 24 hour format.  This should be a full number of hours, minutes and seconds.  ex: 00:35:00 = 35 minutes, 03:15:00 = 3 hours 15 minutes, etc.
15. Change the Trigger Value from the default COM to something like whatever you are covering (it can be anything you'd like it to be; game1, Steelers10-22-10-1, etc)
16. Set the Delivery to whatever letter you used to set-up your Template, in this example we're using Template Z so we'd set the Delivery Command to be Z.
17. Click the radio button next to "Select Items in Stream-Down (Blackout) Family"
18. Set the Data Ignore Duration under the Advanced Settings line to be the length of time that the stream should remain in long form cover – again, use a 24 hour format for the amount of time needed.  NOTE: This setting is what will control how long the cover period stays in effect.  So, make sure that this setting is set for the needed amount of time that the trigger should stay active.
19. Click Save

Please note: The station must have a full complement of items in the station inventory assigned to the Stream Down Notification family.  Please make sure that there are enough items to more than cover the needed time.  Likewise, there should be a mix of short-form items as well - :60's, :30's, :15's and :10's to ensure that there is no silence as the trigger gets to the final minutes of its duration.  IF you need to know how to add Fill items to inventory, please refer to the Adding Fill Items to Station Inventory tutorial.

ALSO***  And this IS VERY IMPORTNAT!!!  TIMED TRIGGERS CAN ONLY FIRE ONCE PER DAY!  A timed trigger is logged by the system according to its trigger ID number, not the name of the trigger as defined in the set-up screen.  If the trigger fires once in a 24 hour period of time, that trigger will not fire again even if rescheduled for a later time or renamed.  If a new trigger, or second trigger is needed for the same day, please make sure to create a completely distinct and separate trigger for the second instance.

Last but not least: You will need to make sure that there is enough content in inventory in the Special Stream Down Notification Family to cover the blackout.  To add Fill items just look at this Article.  Just make sure that the item is added to the SPECIAL STREAM DOWN NOTIFICATION FAMILY NOT THE ENABLE FAMILY.

 To create a Data Based Blackout:

Data Based Cover Periods work best for situations where you don't know how long the needed cover period will last or if the start time varies a lot.  Data based Cover periods also work great for any situation where a specific on air item (a sweeper, bumper or any other item) plays to kick off the opening of the broadcast.  If you're using a specific item to kick-off the programming and another item to "bookend" it and close it off, a Data Based cover period can be used.  To create one just follow these steps:

1. Create a new category in your station automation system, for example a GSO and add/schedule an item in the automation system to play from this specific category at the exact time that the station needs to go into Blackout.
2. Access your andomedia.com account and click the Injector Manager link at the top of the screen
3. Choose the proper station from the drop down list and click Continue
4. Click on the TEMPLATE DESIGNER link in the nav bar
5. When the Template Designer opens, choose a letter from the drop down list that DOES NOT have an * next to it, for example Template Z
6.  When Template Z loads, uncheck any boxes that might be selected by default
7. Check Song in all 10 columns of the Template
8. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click Save
9. Return to the station inventory screen
10. Click the Cart Trigger Editor button at the top of the screen
11. From the lower-middle of the screen click the New Reg Trigger button
12. Change the Trigger Value to match the category name that was used in the station automation system
13. If you know the exact length of time that the blackout will be needed set the duration to a time at least as long as the needed blackout is expected to last.  04:30:00 would be 4 hours 30 minutes, etc
14. If you do not know the exact length of the needed black out duration, set the duration to 10 hours; 10:00:00 - if you do this see the notes below.
15. Set the Delivery to be whatever letter Template you used.  In our example we set-up Template Z, so we're going to use Z as the Delivery command.  By default this field will be set as BreakSchedules.  Make sure that you change this from BreakSchedules to the needed letter of the corresponding template.
16. Click the Ad Families radio button for Select Items in Stream-Down (Blackout) Family
17. Set the Data Ignore duration in the Advanced Settings to equal the duration set above in the exact same format.
18.  Click Save

NOTE:  If the duration was set to longer than needed or 10 hours you will need to create another category in the automation system and schedule an item to play from that specific category at the very end of the blackout period.  many stations use this as a return to programming sweeper or "game close" element.  Once scheduled in the automation system do the following to set up the Data Ignore End Trigger:

1. Access your andomedia.com account and click the Injector manager link at the top of the screen
2. Choose the proper station from the drop down list and click Continue
3. Click the Cart Trigger Editor button at the top of the screen
4. From the lower-middle of the screen click the New Reg Trigger button
5. Change the Trigger Value to match the category name that was used in the station automation system for the game end / segment end return.  For example GSC
7. Set the Duration to 00:00:01
8. Set the Delivery to Go Live
9. Click the Ad Families radio button for Select Items in Enable/Normal Ad Rotation Family
10. Check the Break Through data Ignore to Fire this Trigger box from the Advanced Settings section
11.  Click Save

Last but not least: You will need to make sure that there is enough content in inventory in the Special Stream Down Notification Family to cover the blackout.  To add Fill items just look at this Article.  Just make sure that the item is added to the SPECIAL STREAM DOWN NOTIFICATION FAMILY NOT THE ENABLE FAMILY.

 For a download-able PDF with screen shots on creating a Data Based Blackout click here.