How do I configure advert block openers and closers?

Advert block openers and closers allow you to automatically play jingles or station identifiers before and after your advert blocks. The key benefit is that these tracks only play when there are actually adverts scheduled in that block.

Adding an Advert Block to Your Schedule

First, you need to add an advert block item to either a clock or directly to the playout log. An advert block item can be added to a clock or the playout log to play out the adverts.

To add to a Clock: Go to Manage > Clocks, open your clock in the editor, and add an Advert Block item. When this clock is scheduled, the advert block item will be added to the playout log for any hour the clock runs.

To add to the Playout Log: Go to Manage > Playout Log and add an Advert Block item directly to the specific hours where you want adverts to play.

Configuring the Advert Block Settings

When you edit the advert block item, the Edit Advert Block Settings Window opens with the following options:

Start Time - indicates the approximate air time of the advert block within the hour. This is used to match with the corresponding advert block in the advert log. Note this doesn't mean the block will play at exactly that time past the hour. If you need precise timing, place a fixed time marker before the advert block.

Max Duration - the maximum duration of the advert block. When the advert log is scheduled, the corresponding block will be no longer than this duration.

Max Advert Slots - the maximum number of adverts that will play in this block.

Configuring Openers and Closers

In the same window, you'll find the opener and closer track fields:

Opener Track - a track that plays at the beginning of the advert block, before any adverts. This is typically used for a jingle or station identifier to introduce the commercial break. The opener track will only play if there are adverts scheduled into the block. If there are no adverts in the advert log for this block, the opener track will not play.

Closer Track - a track that plays at the end of the advert block, after all adverts have finished. This is typically used for a jingle or station identifier to close out the commercial break. The closer track will only play if there are adverts scheduled into the block. If there are no adverts in the advert log for this block, the closer track will not play.

You can select any track from your library for these positions. This prevents you from having to manually schedule opener tracks in your playout log that might play even when no adverts are scheduled.

Scheduling Adverts into the Block

After adding advert blocks to your playout log, you need to schedule actual adverts into them. First, set up your advert campaigns in Manage > Advert Campaigns. Then go to Manage > Advert Log, select your date range, and click the Schedule button. The system will automatically fill your advert blocks with the appropriate commercials based on your campaign settings.

This feature requires the Advanced Scheduling Module.