Exact Time Markers (ETMs), mark points in the Clock, defined in minutes and seconds. They are built into Clocks in the Clocks Definition window. ETMs are used to adjust the air time in the schedule, or to tell operators when a given program element should be broadcast. Exact Time Markers are also used for Automation purposes with Master Control, are used in Traffic Integration, and play a part in the operation of the Timing Goal.
Working in the Exact Time Marker window
See also the notes for Chain and Timing types in the Clocks Definition window
For details on using Exact Time Markers in Traffic Integration, see the Notes in the Traffic window topic.
Exact Time Markers define points in time in the schedule. Each stretch of time between an ETM is referred to as a segment. The Timing Goal works with these time segments. GSelector places a default Reset ETM at the top of each Clock Hour, which resets the Air time to 00:00 at the top of the Clock. So by default, GSelector starts out with time segments of 60:00 duration. When you define Reset ETMs (Or Hard or Soft ETMs) within a Clock, the Timing Goal will equally attempt to schedule out the smaller segments exactly.
Within this overall structure, you can also use Hit Exact Time Markers. These ETMs are ignored by the Timing Goal if they have a zero Flex Offset value. With a defined Flex Offset value, you allow GSelector latitude in scheduling, allowing events associated with Hit Exact Time markers to schedule, within defined limits, close to their intended times. Working in the Define Exact Time Marker window, you set the time and specify the type of an Exact Time Marker, and optionally build flexibility into your scheduling by ETM Type. Exact Time Markers are built into Clocks in the Clocks Definition window; see the notes on editing Clock content for full details. When used with the Master Control sequencer, ETMs work in conjunction with Chain and Timing types. An Exact Time Marker in a Flex Clock configuration can be set to Relative in the Timing column to tell GSelector to scheduled the Exact Time marker relative to its position in the overall hour.
Click any area in this image for help
Click any area in this image for help
From the toolbar, you can Add , Edit or Delete an Exact Time Marker, and Save and Cancel your changes. Toolbar buttons may vary in color based on the Appearance Style selected.
Pressing the CTRL+F will open the Find option allowing the user to do a "Smart Filter" find. The Finder will search for results as they are typed. To open the Find option click the pane to search and press the CTRL+F keys on the keyboard.
CTRL+F - Invokes the Find Panel.
ESC - Clears the search box. If the search box is empty, pressing ESC closes the Find Panel.
DOWN ARROW - Moves focus from the Find Panel to the grid's data area.
These fields display information about the Exact Time Markers. This cannot be directly edited. Exact Time Markers are displayed in chronological order, by the minutes and seconds value assigned in the Time field, but this order can be reversed. All headers in the list can be used to sort the list by clicking to sort by that field.
A check here means the selected Exact Time Marker is assigned in at least one Clock. See the notes on Deleting Assigned Exact Time Markers. This field cannot be directly edited.
Exact Time Markers are given composite names derived from the options selected in the Add/Edit Exact Time window. This field cannot be directly edited.
Displays the time value in minutes and seconds set in the Add/Edit Exact Time window. This field can be edited Edit Exact Time window.
Displays the Type assigned for this Exact Time Marker in the Add/Edit Exact Time window. Select Hit, Reset, Hard or Soft from the Type drop-down in the Add/Edit Exact Time window. Selecting Hit activates the Flex Offsets settings fields. Selecting Reset, Hard or Soft activates the Under/Over settings fields. The default ETM type is soft. However, the default Type can be changed using the Default for New ETM option in the Clocks window of the Setup Station Features window.
TIP: If the playout system is not Master Control or Zetta, just use Hit and Reset ETMs.
Used to inform operators that the airtime should be close to the time set in the Exact Time field of the Clock position browse. Hit ETMs have no effect on the operation of the Master Control sequencer. A Hit ETM immediately before a stopset, for example, can warn the operator about the time commercials should be aired. A Hit ETM can be given Flex offsets to allow a time segment some flexibility in meeting the Timing Goal.
When designing an Export Schedule format for Spots, Hit type Exact Time Markers are used to place Spotset Holders in the schedule call for a dedicated Spot-specific Scheduled Time field. This differs from the Start Time field used for Songs, Links, Breaknotes, Spotsets and Spots. The Scheduled Time field represents the Scheduled Time of the Spot, and the Start Time the Start Time within the Start Date. These values will differ with Hit ETMs.
NOTE: Reset, Hard and Soft ETMs can all be allowed to Overschedule or Underschedule .
Resets the Air time of the schedule to the time set for the Exact Time Marker - regardless of the timing of all preceding program elements in that schedule.
Resets the air time of the schedule to the time set for this Exact Time Marker. If the Master Control sequencer encounters a hard Exact Time Marker in the schedule before the designated hard time, it will wait for the designated exact time before playing events scheduled beyond the marker. If the Master Control sequencer is playing an event scheduled before an Exact Time Marker at the designated hard time, it will fade that event and begin playing the event following the hard Exact Time Marker in the schedule. This will happen regardless of how much time is remaining on the event that is faded. Optionally the Back Timed checkbox can be used with a Hard ETM.
Resets the air time of the schedule to the time set for this Exact Time Marker field of the clock position browse. The Master Control sequencer makes a number of complex timing decisions when it encounters a soft Exact Time Marker in the schedule.
A check here means the Exact Time Marker is configured as a Back Timed ETM in the Add/Edit Exact Time window. Selecting Hard for the ETM Type activates the Back Timed checkbox. This Traffic integration feature will allow GSelector to optionally adjust the air time of an Exact Time Marker (ETM) preceding a Spotset Holder based on the air time of an Exact Time Marker (ETM) following the Spotset Holder and the duration of the spots being imported from the traffic file for that Spotset.
Consider the schedule excerpt shown below. The goal in this example is applying back-timing to the start of the ads in the Spotset Holder such that the News Sounder will start at 59:55. Note that the air time of ETM #2 is 59:55. This is the “back-timing goal” since the ETM directly follows a Spotset Holder. The air time of ETM#1 is set to accommodate the intended three minutes of commercials that will be imported from the traffic file. Now suppose there are only two minutes of spots in the traffic file for this position. GSelector would then adjust the air time of ETM #1 from 56:45 to 57:45 to allow for the smaller duration of the Spotset. This adjustment would take place at the time Traffic Integration is run.
|
Air Time |
Duration |
Title |
|
56:45 |
|
ETM #1 |
|
56:45 |
00:10 |
Jingle |
|
56:55 |
03:00 |
Spotset Holder |
|
59:55 |
|
ETM #2 |
|
59:55 |
00:05 |
News Sounder |
Click any area in this image for help
Click any area in this image for help
When creating or editing an Exact Time Marker, you can enter new or overwrite existing values in the Time and Type fields. Click the OK button to create the marker.
TIP: You can also open the selected Exact Time Marker position for editing directly from the Clock Definition window, by selecting the Exact Time Marker in the Clock Content Pane, and double-clicking on any non-drop-down field for that position. Click the Clock Definition tab to return to the Clock after Editing. See the notes in the Clocks Definition window for full details.
When enabled, these fields allow the user to set a Minimum and Maximum value for the time by which Under and Overscheduling is allowed. For example, if you specify 30 seconds in each field and allow both under- and over-scheduling, and there is a 3'00" space in the schedule to fill, this would allow items with durations of between 2'30" and 3'30" to be scheduled.
TIP: The greater the time values entered in these fields, the easier it is for GSelector to fill log positions; but this creates a parallel risk of defeating the Timing Goal for this Exact Time Marker. Much depends on timings.
Both these boxes are checked by default. Uncheck one or both boxes to block Under or Overscheduling.
Specify a Time Interval in the Flex Offset fields. This will allow the Segment to start at any time within the time interval defined by the Offset values. If the Offset Values are set to 0:00, Hit Exact Time Markers are ignored by the Timing Goal. When using Flex Offsets, you are building some operational latitude into your schedule, either at the beginning of the segment, or at the end, by the amounts you call for in these fields.
Gap Time Displays in the Clock
button in the toolbar or press Ins on the keyboard to open the Add Exact Time window.
In the Clocks Exact Time Marker window, select an Exact Time Marker and click the Edit 
button in the toolbar or press Enter on your keyboard or double-click to open the Add/Edit Exact Time window with the selected Exact Time Marker details ready to modify.
Select an Exact Time Marker in the Clocks section Exact Time Marker window and click the Delete 
button in the toolbar or press the Del key on your keyboard. If the Exact Time Marker is not assigned in any Clock, it is deleted immediately. If the Exact Time Marker is assigned in one or more Clocks, you are asked to confirm that you are deleting the assigned Exact Time Marker and removing it from all Clocks and the schedule.
Click to the Save 
button to save changes to the Exact Time Markers. If the changes are not saved, the user will be prompted to save them when exiting the window after an editing session.
Click the Cancel 
button to return the window to its last saved state.
NOTE: When working with the Timing Goal, Related Links are not recommended. Related Link times are not used when computing totals for this goal, and they should not be used in Time-sensitive scheduling.
The Timing Goal is designed to fill , to best effect, time segments between two Reset Exact Time Markers.
Once you have defined Exact Timer Markers in Clocks, you can apply the Timing Goal in the Priorities window. This goal can be given a low or a high Priority. For Timing purposes, the Top of the Hour is treated as a reset ETM of 0:00. This would appear in the ETM list as ETM_00:00_Reset. The Category Groups that are used in Scheduling to achieve the Timing Goal should be the Categories that come lowest in the Category Group Options window (see the notes for Category Group Importance window, accessed from the Categories window). Select the Timing Goal for the Priority List assigned to the desired categories. See the notes on Implementing Timing Goal Scheduling in the Priorities Definition topic.
TIP: For this Goal to work properly, it is essential that timings for all Songs and Links are accurate. Where Songs are ripped from CD, ensure surplus audio at the beginning and the end of the file is trimmed; where segues (cross-fades) are routinely used with songs that fade, ensure your timings reflect this.
In the Log Editor, the Gap Time is displayed for each Exact Time Marker as shown in the detail image above. The Gap Time is the difference between the duration between two ETMs, and the total duration of all program elements scheduled between those ETMs. A Gap Time of 0:00 indicates the scheduled program elements exactly fill the time between the ETMs. A positive Gap Time indicates the portion of the schedule between the two ETMs is overscheduled. A negative Gap Time indicates the portion of the schedule between the two exact time markers is underscheduled.
When designing a Clock in the Clocks Definition window, the Airtime field will display the Gap time immediately above the Exact Time Marker Clock location. The values used in Clocks are derived from average runtimes for the Songs, Links or other Clock Items. If the total Airtime of the segment leading up to the ETM is greater that the time set for the ETM, the Gap time value is displayed as a positive value. If the segment under-runs, the Gap Time is displayed with a Negative value. For notes on Color and using Appearances for Clock and Editor entry types, see the Using Color topic.
