I am looking for some simple scripts to run a daily rotation and fortnightly schedule using mAirList.
Basically I have pre-recorded programming that needs to be triggered by an “event” or series of events linked together.
e.g. On the hour a news bulletin,
3 minutes past the hour the “Programme/Show”
Station ID/jingle every 15 minutes
Interspersed between 1, 2 or 3 hour “shows” featuring specialised music or other topics would be automated playout from the music library.
Has anybody tried this? Or can anybody assist?
Longer term this will need to incorporate remote log in for “live” presenters.
(If you can help, you will be offered your own timeslot once all is up and running)
At present my time is limited which restricts my learning capacity for creating the scripts. I figure that if starting with a simple template it can later be altered as demands evolve.
Most if not all of your requests could be done by using the Event Scheduler. Scripts might improve some parts of your requirements, but let’s try the events-only methods first.
To achieve the ‘every-15-minute jingle,’ you would have to split each show into 14-minute ‘parts’ (each a separate audio file), if they are not already.
The news bulletins could be achieved by hourly events which would insert the bulletin for the ‘next’ hour, giving it a fixed playout time.
The ‘library playout’ is best achieved by using the mairListDB Mini Scheduler (or an external music scheduling application) to prepare playlists for the automated hours.
The ‘library’ and pre-record hourly Playlists would also be loaded by using Events.
If you haven’t discovered the Event Scheduler yet, either click Events on the main toolbar or click INSIDE the Next Event Time box (the ‘E box’) on the Playlist Control Bar. The date/time setups for events are in an ‘and’ relationship, so you need to specify a date part AND a time part for EACH Event. Try the Event Scheduler offline and get used to what it can do, then please ask again here if there’s anything specific we can help you with.
PS: Re your live presenters, mAirList CAN schedule incoming streams for fixed times!
I’d suggest that you make it known to everyone that people who DO help ‘behind the scenes’ are more likely to get a ‘presenter’ slot than those who do not. Or, you could make it a rule that each hour on air has to be ‘earned’ by performing one hour of ‘other, boring stuff’ IN ADVANCE. People who are genuinely passionate about your project WILL do this; and as a bonus, you’ll lose the egomaniac ‘wannabes’ who simply want to hear themselves on the air and who would simply be a ‘drag’ on everyone else.
I’d further suggest that you get each presenter to record an hour ‘as live’ (NO retakes!) so you can figure out who are competent enough to present live on air, and those who aren’t. You can then offer the, uh, ‘less gifted’ a voicetracked show, where they record the links in advance and you use my IVP scripts (http://forum.mairlist.com/index.php/topic,4631.0.html) to make it sound ‘live.’
Note that you DO need to tag your music tracks with Ramp and Outro points to make the very best use of IVP.
Thanks Cad,
your comments/suggestions are much appreciated.
of course you are absolutely correct in what you say about commitment to the cause, and of course that is partly why I am making enquiries…
If the structure and parameters are set, the rules can be applied so much more easily. It is having the initial control that will create the standard from which improvements can be made.
There are a couple of “control freaks” who will be happy to enforce “rules” (and I would stress I am NOT one of them - apart from basic personal responsibility) but everything has to have the start point.
Over the past 18 months I have (with assistance) sorted out a lot of infighting (conflicting agendas from self appointed “gurus”), cleared debt and made sure there is a direction to follow so that a “relaunch” is sustainable.
All “assets” are now central and listed, and expenses/costs have to be approved against monitored income projection (no money is spent unless it is first earned).
The earning of airtime will be dependent on the assessed contribution to the group (there is a “points” system on the shelf - a fundamental part of that is a subscribed nominal membership fee - which will properly capture volunteer longevity )
One of the biggest challenges for any voluntary group is that there are always people who seem to want projects to fail, which is why if we get the basic “play out” correct in the first instance we can then bring people on in the way you suggest.
My (the) project is a community one, and if the play out function gives scope for developing talent (young and old) from within the community things should begin to take off as originally planned by the group’s founder in 2006 (unfortunately deceased in 2008 which kicked off subsequent problems… but that is another story…!)
I will give everything you suggest my best shot, although I envisage with my past experience of learning curves I may well be back with variations upon this theme…
Ah, so much of that story is painfully familiar from my own experience with Leith FM!
As you say, IVP can make ‘anyone’ sound like a competent self-op presenter (and it has its own manual which explains precisely what it does and how to use it).
Good luck with your relaunch, and please do ask if you need any further help with mAirList: we’re always here!
