Automated method for scheduling channels in an abstract time domain

A regional television channel scheduler apparatus comprising:

• a communication unit operable to retrieve:
• a set of channel parameters, said set of channel parameters characterizing a plurality of viewing time periods included in a television channel schedule for a channel that is broadcast to a plurality of geographical areas;
• and a set of regional parameters relevant to a geographical area of said plurality of geographical areas, said set of regional parameters characterizing at least one regional viewing time period of a first duration and including audience characteristics relevant to said at least one regional viewing time period;
• and
• a processor operable to identify a viewing time period from said plurality of viewing time periods relevant to said at least one regional viewing time period by comparing said set of regional parameters to said set of channel parameters;
• wherein said communication unit is further operable to retrieve an abstract schedule associated with said identified viewing time period, wherein said abstract schedule is a pro forma schedule generated by a central television channel scheduler apparatus, having a second duration, and comprising a set of program content items selected by said central television channel scheduler apparatus in accordance with particular channel parameters from said set of channel parameters, wherein said particular channel parameters characterize said identified viewing time period, and wherein said central television channel scheduler apparatus and said regional television channel scheduler apparatus are not co-located;
• said processor being further operable to generate a concrete television schedule for said at least one regional viewing time period for said geographical area, wherein said concrete television schedule is an instantiated finalized schedule produced by mapping said second duration to said first duration and rearranging said set of program content items of said retrieved abstract schedule, wherein said processor being operable to generate a concrete television channel schedule comprises said processor being operable to:
• resolve scheduling conflicts arising between different concrete television schedules by updating said rearranged set of program content items of said concrete television schedules wherein said scheduling conflicts comprise an overlap between one or more rearranged set of program content items of different concrete television schedules and a gap between different concrete television schedules wherein resolving the gap between different concrete television schedules comprises retrieving filler content of a suitable duration from a backup catalogue, and
• generate a concrete television channel schedule for said channel broadcast in said geographical area;
• and
• said processor being further operable to transmit the concrete television schedule to a plurality of client devices.

A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer readable media having computer readable program code embodied therein which when executed by a regional television channel scheduler computing device causes:

• retrieving a set of channel parameters, said set of channel parameters characterizing a plurality of viewing time periods included in a television channel schedule for a channel that is broadcast to a plurality of geographical areas;
• retrieving a set of regional parameters relevant a geographical area of said plurality of geographical areas, said set of regional parameters characterizing at least one regional viewing time period of a first duration and including audience characteristics relevant to said at least one regional viewing time period;
• identifying a viewing time period from said plurality of viewing time periods relevant to said at least one regional viewing time period by comparing said set of regional parameters to said set of channel parameters;
• retrieving an abstract schedule associated with said identified viewing time period, wherein said abstract schedule is a pro forma schedule generated by a central television channel scheduler computing device, having a second duration, and comprising a set of program content items selected by said central television channel scheduler computing device in accordance with particular channel parameters from said set of channel parameters, wherein said particular channel parameters characterize said identified viewing time period, and wherein said central television channel scheduler computing device and said regional television channel scheduler computing device are not co-located;
• generating a concrete television schedule for said at least one regional viewing time period for said geographical area, wherein said concrete television schedule is an instantiated finalized schedule produced by mapping said second duration to said first duration and rearranging said set of program content items of said retrieved abstract schedule, wherein said generating a concrete television channel schedule comprises:
• resolving scheduling conflicts arising between different concrete television schedules by updating said rearranged set of program content items of said concrete television schedules wherein said scheduling conflicts comprise an overlap between one or more rearranged set of program content items of different concrete television schedules and a gap between different concrete television schedules wherein resolving the gap between different concrete television schedules comprises retrieving filler content of a suitable duration from a backup catalogue, and
• generating a concrete television channel schedule for said channel broadcast in said geographical area;
• and
• transmitting the concrete television schedule to a plurality of client devices.