Scheduling Advertising During Restricted Periods

Abstract

When a request is received from an advertiser to prohibit scheduling advertisements during or near a restricted show, an order entry system can add the advertiser to a list of advertisers specifying prohibitions. An automated media scheduling system can implement rules to prevent advertisements linked to advertisers in the list from being scheduled in spot breaks during the restricted show, and instead schedule advertisements from other advertisers in those spot breaks. Buffers can be established around restricted shows, so that spot breaks near restricted shows can also be restricted. A playout system can perform validation checks to ensure that advertisements from advertisers included in the list are not improperly scheduled. Advertisers, advertisements, shows, or schedule portions can be tagged with blackout attributes to facilitate rule implementation. Subsequent manual changes to a broadcast log with restricted media items can be prevented.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for scheduling advertisements in spot breaks of a broadcast schedule, the method comprising:
 identifying a show included in the broadcast schedule as a restricted show;   obtaining a list of advertisers that prohibit advertiser content associated with advertisers in the list of advertisers from being scheduled during the restricted show;   setting restriction rules configured to prevent the advertiser content associated with advertisers in the list of advertisers from being scheduled during the restricted show; and   scheduling advertisements in the spot breaks of the broadcast schedule subject to the restriction rules.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 preventing the restriction rules from being manually bypassed.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the restriction rules include a buffer rule configured to prevent the advertiser content from being scheduled during a buffer time around a scheduled broadcast time of the restricted show. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the scheduling further comprises:
 performing a validation check at a playout system, wherein the validation check verifies that no advertiser content associated with advertisers in the list of advertisers is scheduled during the restricted show.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 applying the restriction rules to a defined subset of broadcast stations associated with a master broadcast schedule.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 assigning a blackout attribute to spot breaks scheduled during the restricted show.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 assigning a blackout attribute to advertising orders associated with advertisers in the list of advertisers that prohibit advertiser content associated with advertisers in the list of advertisers from being scheduled during the restricted show.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining further comprises:
 assigning a blackout attribute to an advertiser record, the blackout attribute indicating whether an advertiser associated with the advertiser record has prohibited advertiser content from being scheduled during the restricted show.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting information associated with the restriction rules to a targeted advertisement service, wherein the targeted advertising service selects targeted advertisements subject to the restriction rules.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining further comprises:
 assigning a blackout attribute to an advertisement record, the blackout attribute indicating whether an advertiser associated with the advertisement record has prohibited advertiser content from being scheduled during the restricted show.   
     
     
         11 . A method for use in a media scheduling system, the method comprising:
 identifying, at the media scheduling system, advertisers that have submitted a request for advertiser content to be excluded from airing during a restricted show;   identifying, at the media scheduling system, blackout times in a broadcast schedule, wherein blackout times correspond to times when the restricted show is scheduled to be aired;   scheduling, at the media scheduling system, advertisements in spot breaks of the broadcast schedule, subject to the request; and   verifying, at a playout system, that no advertiser content to be excluded is scheduled to be aired during the blackout times.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the verifying comprises:
 comparing advertisers associated with advertisements scheduled during the blackout times to a list of the particular advertisers that have submitted a request for advertiser content to be excluded from airing during the restricted show.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the scheduling further comprises:
 preventing the advertiser content to be excluded from being scheduled during a buffer around the blackout times.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 assigning a blackout attribute to spot breaks scheduled during the blackout times.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 assigning a blackout attribute to headers of advertising orders associated with advertisers that have submitted a request for advertiser content to be excluded.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the obtaining further comprises:
 assigning a blackout attribute to an advertiser record, the blackout attribute indicating whether an advertiser is one of the advertisers that have submitted a request for advertiser content to be excluded.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the verifying further comprises:
 comparing advertisers associated with advertisements scheduled during the blackout times to a list of the particular advertisers that have submitted a request for advertiser content to be excluded from airing during the restricted show.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 transmitting information associated with the blackout times to an advertisement selection service.   
     
     
         19 . A system comprising;
 a scheduling system including a processor and associated memory, the scheduling system configured to:
 identify advertisers that have submitted a request for advertiser content to be excluded from airing during a restricted show; 
 identify blackout times in a broadcast schedule, wherein blackout times correspond to times when the restricted show is scheduled to be aired; 
 schedule advertisements in spot breaks of the broadcast schedule based on restriction rules associated with the request for advertiser content to be excluded; and 
   a playout system including a processor and associated memory, the scheduling system configured to verify that advertisements from the advertisers that have submitted a request for advertiser content to be excluded have not been scheduled to be aired during the blackout times.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an ordering system configured to prevent the advertiser content to be excluded from being added to a pool of advertisements considered for scheduling during the blackout times.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the restriction rules include a buffer rule configured to prevent the advertiser content from being scheduled during a buffer time around a scheduled broadcast time of the restricted show. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 assigning a blackout attribute to at least one of:
 spot breaks scheduled during the blackout times; 
 advertising orders associated with advertisers that have submitted a request for advertiser content to be excluded; or 
 advertisers that have submitted a request for advertiser content to be excluded.