Suggested daily traffic activities
- In this section, we will provide an overview of the traffic programs most often used.
Though we will go into more detail below in Suggested daily traffic activities,
typical traffic activities include the following:
Reconciling and posting yesterday’s logs
Entering new programs, contracts, and copy
Printing future logs
Using bulk contracts and automation linking (depending on your system)
As you enter new programming and contracts, this information automatically fills into
the appropriate portions of the log. You can then print the log or upload it to your
automation equipment. This section will detail the typical daily work load for traffic
management.
Suggested daily traffic activities
Though daily traffic activities will vary depending on the station and traffic
management needs, the most common traffic activities include the following:
Reconciling the log(s) for the previous day or weekend
Stations using an automation system will upload the previous day’s log.
Posting reconciled logs (optional)
Entering new programs, bulk contracts, contracts, and copy orders
Printing confirmations (in traffic management - misc reports)
Rescheduling makegoods
Printing the Schedule Discrepancy Summary
Editing a log, making any final changes
Assigning filler spots to a log
Printing missing copy summary and correct copy errors
Assigning copy to a log
Printing a log
Stations using automation systems will download the log to the system.
Backup your data!!!
Reconciling logs
Use the edit a log program in traffic management-daily
activity to reconcile the previous day’s log. When reconciling your logs, you check
to see what actually ran and then change the times on the system’s log to ensure they
are the same as the station’s logs. To do this, follow these procedures:
If a break ran at a different time than specified in Summit, use F8 to change the start
time of that break. All spots within that break will move with it.
If a spot did not run at all, use the F7 key to remove it and place it into
makegoods.
If a spot is not going to be made good, you can cancel that spot from the schedule page
in contract data entry.
Continue following the above procedures until the edit a log matches your printed logs.
If you are using an automation system and have the automation upload program in
use, when you upload, the system will automatically reconcile your log.
Before invoicing, make sure that you have made all necessary
changes to the log. The logs must reflect what really happened.
Posting reconciled logs
Posting logs is an optional feature. Using this feature helps you recognize
logs that have already been reconciled. To use this feature, answer Yes in
customization of traffic management -daily activity (Log posting in use? Page 2).
If you are using this feature, Summit requires you to post all logs for a billing period
before running invoices.
Use post a log for the following situations:
If you are using paid programming.
If you are using bulk contracts and you want to daily track how much of your bulk
contracts have been used
If you are using program inventory and want to track the actual run times of programs
If you are using an automation system
To use this feature, select post a log from the traffic management - daily activity
menu. Enter the date of the log(s) that you want to post, making sure that you are posting
in chronological order. In other words, do not post the 20th of the month until
all days before the 20th have been posted.
Entering new programs
Enter daily programming in enter programming. Each
program consists of the following:
Header page: Contains general information for an entire program.
Element pages: Contain detailed scheduling information (e.g., program elements
and avails) with the following criteria:
Element pages must be in chronological order
Run times must fall within the start and end times of the header page
You must have an element page for every break that needs to print on the log and be
filled.
If you forget an element page or need to add another, use F8 to insert a page where you
need it.
Duplicating programs
If you need to enter a new program that is very
similar to an existing program, press F8 to duplicate a program. With this duplicating
feature, you only need to make minor changes. To duplicate a program, follow these steps:
In enter programming, choose the program you wish to duplicate,
press F8 - Duplicate
A pop-up window will appear, choose the program or range of programs that you wish to
duplicate.
Change stations/zone/group? Answer Yes to change the station/zone/or group on
the new program. To? If you answered Yes in the previous field enter the station
/zone/ or group this new program is valid. Applicable to multi-station operations only.
Change valid from? Answer Yes if you wish to change the valid from date on this
new program. In the subsequent field enter the new date.
If you choose to duplicate from a program that you have just canceled, remember to
change the valid from date to a date in the future.
Change valid thru ? Answer Yes if you wish to change the valid thru date on this
new program. In the subsequent field enter the new date.
Change valid days? If the program(s) you are duplicating are valid the same
days(s) of
the new program answer No in this field. If the valid days are different answer Yes
in field number 9 and answer Yes in the subsequent fields for the days the new
program is valid.
Change run time? Answer Yes if you wish to change
the run time on the new program Or Move ahead by? Enter the hours and/or minutes
you wish to move the new program ahead. Or Move back by? Enter the hours and/or minutes you wish to move the new program
back.
Change Pre-empt program or Regular? Answer Yes
if the new program is opposite status of the program(s) you are copying. For example 1) if
you are copying a Regular program to a Pre-empt you would answer Yes and in field
number 18 you would answer P for Pre-empt, 2) if you are copying a Pre-empt to a
Regular you would answer Yes and in field number 18 you would answer R for
Regular, 3) if the program you are copying is the same status (Regular) to a (Regular) or
(Pre-empt to a Pre-empt) then you would answer No and disregard field number 18.
If you wish to add breaks to a duplicated program, you will do this after duplicating
the new program.
Changing programs
If you need to overwrite a regular program with a program just for a
specific date, pre-empt the program in enter programming. After you enter schedule
information, the system will ask you if the spot is a regular or pre-empt. Spots bumped by
pre-empt programming are either rescheduled or placed in the makegoods pending file.
You cannot make changes to programs that are currently running. However, if you need to
make changes to a program that is already running (e.g., adding a new break), follow these
steps:
Cancel that program.
Once the program is canceled, use the F8 key to duplicate that program or use the
stop/restart command.
Change the from date on the new program to a date after the thru date on
the original program. By changing these dates, you prevent two program from simultaneously
running.
Now that you have a new program starting in the future, you are free to make any
changes to that new program.
Summit provides quick ways to make changes to programs previously entered. For
example, say you had entered special programming for a basketball game and the game is
rescheduled. To change this information, you would press F8 from the program header page.
Use the Change option to enter a new date on a program page. If there is a game
delay, Summit can Move the program and automatically adjust its detail pages to the
new start time.
Make sure you move programs to an available space, not a time
that already has a program scheduled. Avoid scheduling two regular programs for the same
time. You can make small day-to-day programming changes by using the "Clone"
option. The "Clone" option copies a program into a new program and is also used
for scheduling contracts by program. You make changes, but the system keeps track of where
the program was copied from. To use this option, follow these steps:
Enter your "model" programs in enter programming.
Make any necessary adjustments.
Re-time for accurate in/out timing on your schedule.
The system will now enter a pre-empt program for the date that you specified, leaving
the original program intact.
Running specific spots
If you want to have spots run during particular avail breaks, enter an
avail type code. Enter this code on the element page for that avail break. The default
avail type indicates what type of spot can run in that break. When entering avail types,
you can add your own codes that are specific to your programming needs.
Do not use an avail type of 0 because it will override all other
parameters for scheduling spots. Please contact a Summit Software Technician for more
details.
After you have entered all of your programs, run a programs to run summary or skeleton
schedule for each day of the week. These reports do the following:
Check the accuracy of your entry
Verify that you have all the programming that you need.
If you need to check avail breaks, print the element pages.
Entering new contracts
Use contracts to place spots on a log and to bill the account. Spots
schedule interactively at the time of order entry – each time you enter a new order,
the spot schedules on active logs. When necessary, Summit reorganizes spots based on
placement priorities, etc. This reorganization process takes a few seconds to a few
minutes, depending on the number of spots on your contract and the number of active logs
extended.
You have the following options when entering contracts:
Specifying the billing group and cycle
Allowing for agency, rep firm, and account exec commissions
Sending the bill to the agency, rep firm, or directly to the advertiser
Billing gross or net
Including a notarized script
Printing more than one copy of the invoice
In contracts, you can schedule the following:
Commercial spots
Co-op contracts
Package billing
Pre-paid contracts
Promos
Public service announcements (PSAs).
Commercial spots
All regularly billed commercial spots need a contract entered. Each
contract contains one or more schedule pages, and/or miscellaneous billing pages. If the
order has more than one spot running in a given scheduling parameter, enter copy pages for
each spot on a copy order in enter copy and rotations, then add that copy order to the
contract.
See Co-op contracts below for more information.
If you need to schedule your spots during specific avail breaks, you must
"type match" the break and the spot. Under avail type, enter a type code (press
F3 while in that field to add a new code). Remember that the same avail type must be
entered on that break in program data entry.
Only spots with corresponding avail types will run during that
break.
Use spot priority on the schedule page to ensure that some spots schedule before
others. Priorities are 1-9 and a-z, with 1 = highest priority and z = lowest priority.
Though 5 is the default priority, you can change this default in the customization program
of traffic management-daily activity. In this same customization program, you can also set
up implicit priorities based on rate and/or schedule span. Implicit priorities will cause
the system to take either or both of these factors into account (rate/schedule span) when
trying to schedule two spots with the same priority.
Spots with a priority of f-z will not show up in the makegood
file if bumped. These priorities are generally used for promos and PSAs.
Co-op contracts
Enter co-op contracts with corresponding copy
orders for each product. To use co-op contracts, set the rotation or percentage
assignments in the copy orders. Co-op invoices include a summary page for the advertiser
and a separate detail page for each product. To use this feature, type Yes in the Co-op
invoice field of the contract header page. When billing, you can choose to bill your
co-op contracts together with regular contracts or separately.
Package billing
To bill out a contract with a package amount, enter a miscellaneous
billing page on that contract for the dollar amount of the package. Enter the package name
(or an abbreviation) under pckg on the schedule page. If you would like to show an
average rate per spot on your revenue analysis and revenue projection, calculate an
average rate per spot for that schedule page and enter it under rate.
The system will not use this field for billing
purposes but for internal reporting purposes if there is something in the pckg
field.
If you are entering an average rate per spot on the schedule page, specify No to
include the miscellaneous billing page itself on revenue reports.
The invoice will print the package name under the rate and show the miscellaneous
billing page as a separate charge with the package description and total package amount
for the billing period.
Pre-paid contracts
Specify a contract as pre-paid on the header page of the order. Enter
the order when you receive payment. If you do not have the schedule at this time, enter it
onto the contract later. Enter the payment through enter other a/r transactions in
accounts receivable. Invoices show the pre-payment amount; charges will be added to the
invoice during billing.
Refer to the Accounts Receivable section for more
information on pre-payments.
Paid programming
Paid programming is handled very differently in
Summit 2.7. Instead of entering contracts as paid programs, you enter these programs
through enter programming (Program Data Entry). To enter paid programs, follow these step:
Go into traffic management - daily activity / enter programming (menu 1).
Press F3 to add a new program.
Specify if this is a regular or pre-empt spot, then add all necessary data.
Make sure you specify the station if you have multiple stations.
Add the run time.
In the Paid Programming field, type Y.
After you have added all data, arrow down (â ) to pull
up the paid programming window.
In the paid programming window, choose the advertiser, which will autofill advertiser
data after selected. Enter any additional applicable information.
The Rate field is for each time the show airs.
In the Customization program of traffic management - daily activity, go to page two.
Make sure is set to the following, though field #6 is optional:
PSA and Promo contracts
PSAs and Promos are entered just like commercial
spots. However, you need to know the following information about entering PSA and Promo
contracts.
If these contracts do not need an invoice, enter 0 for Number of invoice copies
on the contract header page.
If you are using these spots as fillers, enter a priority of f-z.
Remember that missed spots will not go into the makegoods file.
Since these spots will not automatically be assigned to the log, you need to assign
them to logs in a separate step.
Refer to the Assigning Filler Spots to a Log section for more information.
Remember to enter different pages for 10, 15, 20 and 30 second spots.
PSAs and Promos can be type matched to run in specific avail breaks (e.g.,
children’s PSAs running during children’s programming).
Bulk contracts
Use bulk contracts when an advertiser agrees to buy X amount of dollars
of air time, which will be used at later times. One bulk contract can accommodate
different individual contracts with different spot lengths, rates, and dollar amounts.
Summit tracks the use of bulk contracts automatically for you. After you post a log, the
percentage of contracts used vs. remaining dollar amount left will change accordingly.
Posting logs is mandatory if you have bulk contracts.
Entering copy
Use the enter copy & rotations program of traffic
management - daily activity when an advertiser provides more than one piece of copy for an
order. To enter copy, follow these procedures:
Using detail pages, schedule each piece of copy based on the date(s), program,
daypart,
run time, or days of the week.
If the copy is running throughout the run times on the contract schedule page, you can
leave the run dates and times blank.
If copy if rotating evenly, specify even rotation on the header page and the
system will automatically schedule one after the other.
If the rotation is not even, you can specify a rotation pattern or rotate spots by a
percentage (enter each spot’s percentage on the detail page).
You can choose to attach the actual script to each piece of copy. If you select this
option, press F8 on each page to enter the script. On the contract header page in contract
data entry, answer Yes to Notarize script?. The script will then print with
the invoices.
Printing confirmations
You can print confirmations for one or more contracts,
including some or all of the advertisers, agencies, or account executives. For all
confirmations (contract, bulk, or copy), you can design your own layout. The Summit system
comes with several basic confirmation layouts. In traffic utilities/customization, you can
choose to automatically print confirmations for all new records entered, as well as
specify which layout to use for those confirmations.
Rescheduling makegoods
If Summit is unable to place a spot on a log, it appears on the makegoods
list. From this list, you can either add it to the scheduling process, or cancel it. When
you add a makegood, no additional revenue adds to the order. Conversely, the dollar amount
of an order decreases if you cancel a makegood.
To reschedule makegoods, following these guidelines:
Use F3 to reschedule a single spot from reschedule makegoods of traffic
management-daily activity. This feature will write the spot onto a log if possible, or
leave the spot in makegoods.
If you want to schedule a spot outside its original run time and for this change to
show on the invoice, press F4. Using F4 in reschedule makegoods will leave the original
spot in the makegood file and add a spot onto a later schedule. The system will mark the
original spot as rescheduled in the makegood file and print "makegood for
MM/DD/YY" next to the rescheduled spot on the invoice.
You can also choose to reschedule all spots in makegoods at one time. To reschedule all
makegoods, press F8 and choose Reschedule all. Specify the from and thru
dates of makegoods that you want to reschedule. Any spots that the system is unable to
schedule will remain in makegoods.
Printing the Schedule
Discrepancy Summary
The Schedule Discrepancy Summary compares a list of
spots ordered with a list of spots that actually ran. You can use this summary to
determine if anything needs to be scheduled out of makegoods and to spot any errors you
may have made when entering contracts. This summary will do the following:
Reflects when incorrect copy has been assigned
Shows when copy is missing
Indicates if any spots are running outside of their ordered run times and/or run dates
Editing logs
Use edit a log to make changes to a log before and
after it airs. In edit a log, you can do the following:
Move spots to different run times
Remove spots from the log to the makegoods file
Add spots from the makegoods pending file (Press F3)
Change copy orders or their detail pages
Add a spot directly from a contract (Press F4)
When you use the F4 option, the system will ask you for an unused spot number from the
contract and page numbers that you specify. Each spot has its own discreet spot number.
Choose an unused spot number to avoid scheduling the same spot twice.
If not otherwise indicated, press F8 to select most of the above options.
Assigning filler spots to a
log
You can have Summit automatically assign filler spots to all empty avails on
your logs. To save time, Summit does not schedule filler spots with a priority f-z unless
specified.
Just before printing a final log, run this program to fill unused
avails. If you have a lot of filler spots on your log, you may want to schedule the longer
spots before the shorter spots to ensure the best avail fill. To schedule the longer spots
first, go to traffic customization/scheduling standard selection (Page 1), and answer Longest
to the field Start each cluster with longest, shortest, or random lengths (l, s, r)?
Missing copy summary
Use the Missing Copy Summary report to see a list of incomplete orders (for
any date) associated with scheduled contract orders or contract orders without an attached
copy order. Summit considers a copy order incomplete for the following reasons:
If none of the run dates or times allow scheduling with valid run
dates and times on the contract order
If the copy order or contract has no cart number on it.
Print the Missing Copy Summary before printing the final log. After correcting the copy
or contract order, run assign copy to a log in traffic management-daily activity.
If you run this report for date(s) that have been extended, the system will
print missing copy information for any scheduled spot.
However, this report will not print information for spots in the
makegood file, so ensure you have made final edits to your log before printing this
report. If you run the report for date(s) that have not been extended, the system will
print missing copy information for any spots projected to run in edit projected schedule.
Assigning copy to a log
Unlike programs and contracts, copy does not schedule at the time of order
entry. Run this program to add copy pages to logs before printing them. The system will
assign a copy page to all contracts with a copy order number attached to them. You can
assign copy (or re-assign) to any date(s) in the future. If you choose to re-assign copy,
the system will assign copy pages to any copy orders with unassigned copy;
it will not change assigned copy pages. If you need to change a copy order that has
already been assigned, use the F8 feature in Edit a Log.
Printing logs
Summit continually reschedules logs as you enter contracts and programs.
When printing logs, consider the following:
You can print logs for any day(s) without waiting for processing.
You can print a log as many times as you want without changing or preventing future
edits to that log.
You can print specific time periods or a range of pages. Do not try to specify
both a range of page numbers and a time period.
Though your system comes with basic log layouts, you can also custom design your own
logs in any layout design. If you are going to customize a log layout from print a log,
press F3 to add a new layout. Choose to duplicate from the layout that is closest to what
you want (there are seven different standard layouts), and then make any necessary
changes.
Automation download/upload
(Send Schedule to Automation/Auto-reconcile Schedules)
If you are using an automation system, your final step
is to download your log into your automation system. Because automation equipment and your
use of it varies, Summit has custom programs for each client. You will receive
instructions/documentation with your custom program.
Extending active schedules
Use the extend active schedules programs to extend your current number of
active schedules. Active schedules automatically fill with current program and contract
information. Sales and avails reports are accurate only if the report dates include active
schedule dates. Activate only enough schedules to provide the reports and schedules that
you want because maintaining many active schedules at one time will delay data entry.
When you select extend active schedules, the system will automatically fill in the
start date. Accept this date as your starting date for extending new schedules.
Extend schedules once and in chronological order.
If you try to extend a date that has already been extended, this
may cause damage to your logs.
The extend active schedules program is sensitive to changes in the hard drive. Once you
have begun extending schedules, do not re-boot your computer or use the ctrl-break key to
end schedule processing.
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