Scheduling & automation
On this page
This is how the station runs itself between shows. The pipeline is:
Shows → Schedule rules (when they air) → Clocks (the hour template) → Hour-log generation (fills the slots) → Playout.
Shows #
Admin → Programming → Shows. A show is a programme with a name, presenter, description, an assigned clock, and policies: genre filters, min/max track length, a no-repeat window, whether it's pre-recorded (can be filled from scheduled playlists), and whether it allows remote DJs (see §6).
Schedule #
Admin → Programming → Schedule. A weekly grid: assign shows to days and time ranges. Each rule has a day, start/end time, and how many minutes early to pre-fill the hour.
Clocks (hour templates) #
Admin → Programming → Clocks. A clock is the rundown for an hour, an ordered list of slots the generator fills:
| Slot | Fills with |
|---|---|
| TRACK | A song (random, respecting weightings, genre filters and no-repeat) |
| JINGLE | A jingle (pinned, or random from the JINGLE category) |
| STATION_ID | A station ident |
| ADVERT_BREAK | A reserved break, auto-filled from ad campaigns |
| LINK | DJ talk / link time (optionally over a bed) |
| NEWS | The latest bulletin from a news feed |
| HOSPITAL | A hospital/charity spot (weighted rotation) |
| CONTENT_POOL | The next item from a content deck |
A clock also sets music weighting: by category or by genre, with per-genre/per-category weightings, min/max in a row, and separation, so the mix sounds intentional rather than random.
Hour-log generation #
The worker fills the next hour automatically (by default in the :45–:59 window, earlier if a show asks), and tops up the current hour if it runs short. You can always Fill / Re-fill an hour by hand from the studio log or Admin → On Air → Automation.
Key switches (Admin → On Air → Automation):
- Automation enabled: master on/off.
- Auto hour log: build the next hour automatically.
- Playlist automation: let scheduled playlists fill pre-recorded shows.
- No-repeat in an hour, same-day no-repeat, and a station no-repeat window (hours) , overridable per show and per track.
- Auto-fill advert breaks, default break length, and "insert a break every N songs".
Backtiming: landing on the hour #
Hours need to end at :00. Two mechanisms keep them honest (Admin → On Air → Hour timing):
- AutoFade / time-stretch: the engine can subtly slow or speed music (within a max % you set, default ~3%) to absorb a small shortfall or overrun so the hour lands on time.
- Strict hour lock: at the top of the hour it can FADE (crossfade at :00), CUT (hard cut), or OFF (allow a short overrun then fade). You set the arm window (how many seconds before :00 it gets ready) and a tolerance.