The Zacapades

PBS TechCon: Traffic Advisory Committee: Opening and Welcome April 15, 2009

This was perhaps the most traffic-specific session (for obvious reasons). I had a chance to meet Charles Cole (ThinkTV) and Cricket Masson (TAC representative), both of whom were quite friendly.

The session had the feel of a secret club, which was both humorous and enjoyable. Cricket led the group in a game of “Name that NOLA code.” It was a say-it-if-you-know-it format, but had it been a competition, I would have won hands down.

Following introductions and entertainment, we broke into smaller groups discussing several issues, which included: SD in an HD World, DTV Conversion, Underwriting, Pledging on Multiple Channels, Automation Challenges, and Neilsen. I chose to partake in the Automation Challenges group, with the intent on hopping around to other groups, but the conversation was so intriguing I decided to stay put.

I mostly listened, but offered information on WOUB’s automation system, server, and traffic software. Because few people have the Microfirst/ProTrack combination that we have (nobody I talked to had it either), it became hard and irrelevant to go into specifics with Microfirst and its relation to other automation programs. Several stations had the ProTrack/Sundance combination and discussed their issues with Sundance. Although I’m unfamiliar with Sundance’s layout, it was very interesting to hear the similarities in problems that exist with automation software in general. Many issues and concerns are shared between all stations and their automation systems. The ProTrack/(automation system) relationship with kill dates seems a global concern in making the two speak the same language to each other, instead of one killing on the day of, and another killing after that day has passed.

One factor I found incredibly intriguing was that stations seem to be utilizing ProTrack’s AFD (which, I believe, stands for Automatic Frame Detection) to change the aspect ratios on their Sencore receivers to eliminate excess black. For example, if an HD feed (normally letterbox) was 4×3, it would remove the side pillars. If a program was 16×9 in a 4×3 HD feed (postage stamp), pillars would be removed from the top and sides. Essentially, the AFD allows images to be cropped appropriately on the fly.

The biggest thing I took from this gathering was we, as traffic people, are more alike than we are different, which was very comforting.