Scheduling System for Commercials Etere Air Sales Scheduling System for Commercials

Etere Core ETERE is based on the powerful Microsoft SQL technology Above is a diagram illustrating some of the tables within an ETERE database AUTOMATION is the only component independent from the SQL database, it hold the last ‘published’ schedule This architecture offers complete redundancy and an easy to maintain system, An ETERE system is composed by four different areas that have been clearly illustrated in four different colours: Assets, or content management, Scheduling, Traffic, Media management. 2

What is a Scheduling System? A Scheduling System can be divided into 3 key areas: Commercial management (sold by the station): Sales Traffic ( scheduling) Invoicing Planning/Reports Programs management (purchased or produced by the station): Program management Series management Rights payment Promo management: All these events make-up the playlist Following playout, As-Run logs are created for both invoicing and rights management

Grid Preparation

What Is The Grid The grid is the basic structure where the transmission list is composed The grid guide sales and traffic in their operation The grid guide programs and promo also The grid is a flexible structure that can be changed anytime

Air Sales Grid Preparation Etere Sales guide people on selling commercial advertising space It allows to elaborate the best proposals based on the most important programming variables such as time-slot, cluster-position, rate-cards, etc Each stage of the Proposal Management process includes on-demand reports

Weekly Grid AIR SALES allows you to manually create schedules by using either existing or even new blocks Create a schedule structure under a free style grid format Just drag and drop blocks to insert them into the structure

Create a Block By default, new blocks are colored according to the program contained on them However, this color can be freely modified by the user

Add an Existing Block Insert existing blocks just by dragging and dropping them

Segments This a typical frame, each line contain different objects, such as: Billboards News Commercials Promos etc

Structure Change This is an example of structure change, You redifining a frame without losting his content, you can redifine the break structure.

Schedule Segments As in real life, Etere schedules are based on blocks One block contains different segments that can host one or more objects (commercials) Each segment can host only some Objects Type ( commercials, promo,programs) Segments can be ‘split’ to be sent to different markets,with different contents Each segment can host one or more Rate Card to define the price list to be applied to each customer, customers are divided in pricing groups (colors) Expected incomes can be assgined to blocks For each segment is possible to define the expected audience, so it’s possible to tell to the customers what will be the target audience for the campaign, and if this will not be reached give them free spots to reach the audience.

Sales

Features Sales offers full management for planning and commercial operations Complete integration with the Scheduling module All contractual, financial and personal data is included Different levels as: Running To be approved Approved Rejected

Features Scheduled events are managed via workflow Automatic pricing via schedule structure Different tool for supervisors and Salesmen including individual GUI Structure-guided elaboration of advertising sales proposals Automatic pricing according to schedule structure

Features Different rate card for different customers type Use of key criteria in the booking process including cluster position, rate cards, rating Including various charges such as commercial dubbing, production Web support for remote booking, scheduling, and consultation of commercial events More than 100 types of reports

Sales and Proposals

Supervisor Interface Create so many price lists as required Associate these price lists to scheduling blocks Define customer credit. Define and check Salesman and customer monthly budgets Check proposals Proposals can be easily either approved o rejected Check Salesman profit at any time Check customer situation (payed invoices, expired payments, credit status) All functions are sequentially ordered, allowing an intuitive management Print custom reports about proposals Set automatic checking parameters

Redesigned Salesman Interface View your own budget Check your customers’ budgets Create or edit open proposals Check your approved, rejected and reviewed proposals View archived and scheduled proposals Check your customers’ billing data including those invoiced, expired and paid Consult your proposals history data Print custom reports about proposals

Create a Proposal Set a creation and expiration dates Select the “color criteria” to be used for the price Choose an invoice mode Contractual parties involved in the proposal Proposals created with Etere Sales are based on specific evaluation criteria in order to automatically determinate the correct price of advertising spaces The user can specify up to four invoice modes: Charge to customer: The entire amount is invoiced to the customer Charge customer share: Only the fraction corresponding to the customer is invoiced to him Charge customer share indicating agency percentage: Only the fraction corresponding to the customer is invoiced to him, and the percentage invoiced to the agency is indicated Charge to agency with credit note: To sent a credit note to the agency indicating the total amount to be paid to the station Agencies, Media Centers and Salesmans Insert invoicing related data

Extra Expenses To Invoice Include “extra” espenses such as Production and Dubbing

Insert Details Define an unlimited number of independent details Indicate the price calculation method Set the scheduling method to be used Insert relevant scheduling info Schedule type: Select the pricing level to be used for the selected classification, Channel: Indicate the station on which the event will be scheduled, From date / To date: Set the time range on which the event can be scheduled, Product Code: Choose the code of the product from a well-categorized list of types, Description: Insert a brief description of the event, Duration: Select the scheduled duration of the event specified on this detail, Classification: Here will be listed the colours of all the pricing levels defined on the price lists, select the colour related to the current client, Total to schedule: Enter the total number of times that the event will be aired within the given time range, Duration, Asset, Product Code, Production, Dubbing, Mode: Specify if the event is either a paid event (user-defined prices will be normally charged for airing this detail) or a free event (any fee will be charged for airing this detail). Select the segments on which schedule it

Salesmen and Customers Salesmans can be associated to one or more customers Customers can be associated to up to five Salesmans Link up to five commercial Salesmans to each customer

Price Lists Price lists can have a limited validity period Each customer group has its own colored price list A single block can have different prices according to different scheduling rules as: Primetime Daily rotation

Customer Categories SALES allows to associate specific price lists to certain blocks within a given time range Stations can create custom price lists for selected groups of customers

Client Group Colors Easiest recognition due to the use of colors Each customer group is identified by its own color Groups have different pricing not only discounts

Assign Price List to Segments Custom assignment of Price Lists to certain blocks, to fixed days, and for specific programs.

Define Budgets Budgets are related to either customer’s or Salesman’s expected revenues Budgets allows to track all financial flow generated by proposals

Agencies Price List Category Customers can be associated to a predeterminated Agency and Media Center Each customer can have a predefined Agency to be retrieved automatically in the invoicing stage

Salesmen & Commissions Set predefined Salesman’s commissions for specific customers Michael Vasquez Commercial Salesmans can be defined, as well as their specific commissions Flag that indicates that a person is a commercial agent

Discounts Customers, Agencies, Media Buyers can have their discount The discounts are Additive on the contract

Sales & Assets Sales can create the future asset Sales can fill asset with medatada Sales can select if asset will arrive as: Tape Dubsat Adstream Etere tapeless reception Multiple asset can be assigned in one contract for asset rotation

Asset Metadata Define the more relevant properties of your assets into a single object called Asset Form Asset Forms are the core of the broadcasting process An Asset Form act as a container, allows the insertion and association of all relevant metadata, media files, rights, workflows, etc Assets are saved in the database and managed by the Etere Asset Form application, permitting you to search, visualize and amend saved assets and to create new ones as well

Media Source Agency that will send Who is expecting it Expected date Can be selected who will send the video via tapeless ans who need to be informed as soon as it arrives.

One Touch Historical Data Customer history on the last xx years, including total purchased and discount applied and color applied My status and budget Graphical and standard budget with historical data All the proposal per customer including the archived one Top ups detail Payment delays detail

APPROVAL

Easy Approval Tools Automatic approval controls: Is the proposal connected to any possible price for that block ? What is written on the notes of that price list? Is the amount correct? Is there any extra discount? Is the customer color default the same than the price list default? If it’s different, how much is the difference ? View the customer’s history on the last XX years, including total purchased, discounts and color applied Access Salesman’s history on the last XX years including total purchased and discount applied

Approved Proposals Proposals can be easily either approved or rejected An automatic tool checks if there are any discrepancies in the proposal Approved proposals becomes automatically ready to be scheduled by the right operator

Proposal Data Check

Traffic Scheduling

Schedule Commercial Orders Air Sales carries out the entire planning of commercial activity It ensures that commercial orders are professionally generated and efficiently managed It Maximizes the both productivity and air-time planning

Commercial Orders Contractual parties involved in the order Air Sales allows Generation and Space Reservation of commercial orders Different status: Preliminary, To be signed, Approved.

Commercial Order Details lines Order line details and scheduling parameters

Scheduling Details Program Blocks used for scheduling Carry out the most important functions regarding commercial order's scheduling such as: Creation of order lines Scheduling White and black lists management Use remainders Calculate used space Manage virtual documents etc Difference between ordered and scheduled events

Air-time reservation of space: block & segment specific Scheduling Rules Scheduling rules Air-time reservation of space: block & segment specific Easy scheduling of space for commercial events Scheduling is based on specific rules, structures and dates

View Space Scheduled events Reservation Details Top Up The List of Reservations window display all events scheduled within a certain time frame Top Up

View Cluster Content

Traffic Scheduling Engine Scheduling Rules Commercial Orders requests Product Rules Etere Scheduling Engine Crowding Playlist Properities The Traffic Client/Server mode is studied to make faster the commercial scheduling process. The Traffic server takes care of the scheduling process while the Client application is free to process all other operations like commercial spaces reservation. The scheduling application is automatically launched locally. Reservations once launched shuts down automatically when the task ends. White List Black List 48

Scheduling Etere schedules Commercial Contracts NOT videos This approach mix the requirements of both the Traffic and Automation department One or more videos can be linked to a Commercial Contract A video rotation GUI allows a multichannel easy change

Asset Rotation Filter Stations Sequence to use Selected segments

Schedule Adjustment Final adjustments are made on the Traffic Daily Schedule It is also possible to make last minute changes on the Traffic Daily Schedule All programs can also be managed from the Traffic Daily Schedule

Strategic Editor Strategic Editor is an Etere application that allows you to view and modify your schedules in real time Changes made in this application are automatically updated into the automation scheduling

Fine Tune Schedule Scheduled Time On-air Time Used vs. available time Strategic Editor offers an all comprehensive way to schedule crucial material such as advertisements Used vs. available time

Top UPS Insert Top Ups in just one click Easy recognition of scheduled top ups

Commercial Contract starts Reservation Workflow Commercial Contract starts Reserve space Empty space Contract check Confirm reservation Assign tapes

Operation Tracking All traffic operations are tracked and recorded A certified log is generated containing all data to go back to the changes’ originator Each change can also be have a document attached to it to prove it as the customer request

Event Info Track all event performed operations For each contract and each event etere store the complete event list. You can always view teh story of that event, when it was scheduled, changed or whitelisted. View main event scheduling Info

ACCOUNTING

Etere Accounting It is the new module for invoicing and invoice tracking It counts with seamless integration between Automation and Air Sales Systems As-run information of broadcasted schedules is automatically sent back from automation to Air Sales to proceed with the invoicing

Etere Accounting Invoices includes several types of charges such as dubbing, commercial production Different modes to invoice agency commissions: Agency commission detracted from the invoice Net invoice Rebate after invoice More …

Accounting Interface Manual and Automatic Invoicing Generation Payments Management Salesman’s Balance and Payments Management

Payments Easy recognition of the invoicing status The Invoicing section allows you to view relevant details (i.e.: status, mode, data, etc) of both paid and unpaid invoices, and carry out their payment if it’s the latter case In the Salesmans section payments to Salesmans can be performed It is possible to give advanced payments to Salesmans based on the “financial status” of their customers Possibility of printing invoices displayed on the screen Total Balance Values List of pending and paid invoices

Automatic Invoicing

Invoices List

Manual Invoicing Customize the layout (e.g.: logo, numbering, footing, etc) Define the customer Print it payment type Compile relevant invoicing info Create so many contract lines as needed If you wish to manually create an invoice this can be done here, invoice numbers are automatically generated. Search for the related order

Salesmen Accounting also track Salesmen commissions Payment can be done before of after customer payment Immediate check of commission balance Immediate compare with budget

Salesmen Balance

Detailed Salesman Balance

Budgets Balance - Positive balances are green, - Negative balances are red. Compare assigned budgets with current budgets

Check ALL incomes obtained from a certain customer Customer History Data Check ALL incomes obtained from a certain customer

Customer Credit Check the agreed credit of a customer and compare it with actual values

Reports

Wide Range of Reports Up to 32 AIR SALES specific reports Reports concerning all aspects of scheduling carried out in Etere Air Sales can be produced to facilitate data management. Many of the reports are produced with user-defined parameters and search criteria. More than 100 scheduling, financial and inventory related reports

Indicate the date frame on which the invoice has been carried out Invoicing Reports Indicate the date frame on which the invoice has been carried out Reports concerning all aspects of scheduling carried out in Etere Air Sales can be produced to facilitate data management. Many of the reports are produced with user-defined parameters and search criteria. Narrow the search by specifying the customer that owes the invoice(s) and/or the invoiced commercial order Preview

Reports Export Save previews as: qrp, htm, pdf, rtf, xls, txt, jpg, bmp, etc You can export your reports in different formats such as CSV and XML You can even customize them as you want Reports can be easily exported to CSV and XML customizable files

Customers Relationship Management CRM Customers Relationship Management

Etere CRM Etere is equipped with a CRM module CRM is an easy tool to remember what you need to do It allows to automatically re-call a customer about an unapproved proposal by selecting an expiry time Additionally, CRM gives you all the details and history of the people you are dealing with CRM is also connected to your Outlook system

CRM Company people can be detailed (e.g. purchase manager, technical staff, etc.) A person career can be edited to better understand people background and capabilities. 78

To Do List The Todo list is a sequence of reminders. It can be use to altert the customer or the Etere operator with a reminder.

Document Management

Etere Document Management Highly efficient tool for a paperless operation Ability to store documents in any format Avoids space wasting by creating links to the documents required by multiple areas Integrated scanner interface Optional OCR integration

Document Management Scanner control Link functions List of documents Auto cleaning Etere Air Sales use the document management feature of ETERE It’s possible to attach documents to Orders, orders lines and even to single events For example, it’s possible to attach the confirmation fax to every scheduling changes Preview Document Data

Automation Integration

The Traditional Approach Transmission of playlist: One day before On Air System Commercial Management Transmission Playlist Last Minute Changes Programs Management Reconciliation ON AIR Invoicing & Rights Management As Run log: One day after

Problems The export from Traffic to Automation takes place generally one day before broadcast All last minute changes are managed manually Unidirectional information flow Errors arise due to the manual exchange of information on paper No videotape information is passed back to Traffic Traffic is not able to schedule Secondary Events

The Traditional Approach Transmission of playlist On Air system Commercial management Transmission Playlist Last minute changes Programs management Reconciliation ON AIR Invoicing & Rights Management As Run log: One day after

ETERE Commercial management Transmission Playlist Programs management Last minute changes Transmission Playlist Programs management ON AIR Invoicing & Rights Management

Advantages All communication are Bi-directional No reconciliation required Even last minute changes are under control All Automation information (such as browsing) is shared with Air Sales Reduce erros

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Executive Editor Last minute changes are performed in executive editor Etere EE reports all the traffic information With EE is possible to do a traffic friendly change, to save time at reconcile time

Executive Editor Integration Event properties Perform various task such as adding secondary events View and Modify scheduled events in a vertical view with Executive Editor Simple view and easy access to the more relevant properties

Executive Editor Integration 12:41:00:00 LIVE_N1 LIVE NEWS LIVE 0014:49:24 00:30:00 00:44:49:24 It is possible to even view the exact block and segment to which a “traffic event” belongs to The highly graphical, user-friendly interface allows to easily recognize “traffic events” present on the daily schedule, and also to modify them if necessary Associate/Remove events to a block, Bind an event to the previous/next block