Programming
Programming is everything your channel plays from files: scheduled broadcasts, program episodes and rotation playlists. Whenever a live feed is on air, it takes over.
What Airs When
Your channel checks continuously what should be on air, and plays the first of these that's available:
| Order | Source | Set up on |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The live feed on air | Live Stream and Feeders. See Going Live |
| 2 | A scheduled broadcast whose start time has come | Schedule. See How do I Schedule a Broadcast? |
| 3 | A program episode in its broadcast slot | Programs. See How do I Set Up Programs and Episodes? |
| 4 | The rotation playlist for the current time belt, or the default playlist | Playlist. See How do I Build a Rotation Playlist? |
| 5 | Your channel poster, or colour bars | Profile. See Add a Channel Poster |
While broadcasting is switched off on the Overview, only the poster or colour bars play.
How Sources Take Over
- Higher interrupts lower straight away. A scheduled broadcast or program episode cuts into a playlist video at its start time. A live feed cuts into anything.
- Sources at the same level don't interrupt each other. A scheduled broadcast and a program episode are at the same level, so don't schedule one inside the other's time.
- Lower resumes when higher ends. When a scheduled broadcast or episode ends, the playlist carries on. When a live feed ends, the channel waits a few seconds, then returns to whatever is next.
- Time belts switch playlists on the dot. When a time belt starts or ends, the channel changes playlist immediately, even part-way through a video.
- Stings can play on the way back. If you've set a logo sting, it plays when the channel returns to a playlist. See How do I Use a Logo Sting?.
Plan Your Channel
A typical setup:
- Upload your videos. See How do I Upload Media?.
- Fill the default playlist. It's what keeps the channel on air around the clock. See How do I Build a Rotation Playlist?.
- Add time belts if different times of day need different content. See How do I Use Time Belts?.
- Create programs for regular shows, and schedule their episodes each week. See How do I Set Up Programs and Episodes?.
- Schedule one-off broadcasts, such as a special or a repeat. See How do I Schedule a Broadcast?.
- Add commercials, if you run ads. See How do I Run Commercial Breaks?.
- Brand the channel with a watermark, logo sting and news scroll. See Branding.
Times and Time Zone
Scheduled broadcasts, time belts and program slots all run on West Africa Time (WAT, UTC+1). Enter times in WAT, even if you're somewhere else.
Take the Channel Off Air
To stop everything airing, use the ON/OFF broadcasting switch on the Overview. See Turn Broadcasting Off.
Who Can Program the Channel
Owners, administrators and editors can manage the schedule, playlists, time belts, programs and commercials. Viewers can look, but can't change anything. See Roles.