Limiting candidate playlists in multi-shot scheduling system

A device implementing an automated media scheduling system, the device comprising:

• processing circuitry;
• memory operably associated with the processing circuitry, the processing circuitry and memory operable to:
• generate a plurality of shots representing potential playlists of content items, wherein:
• each of the plurality of shots includes a plurality of shot positions into which potential media are placed;
• the plurality of shot positions are individually assigned position index values, wherein position index values assigned to positions in a particular shot form a unique sequences of index values;
• identify eligible content items for insertion into a first shot position;
• score the eligible content items relative to each other;
• associate a content index values to the eligible content items;
• place selected eligible content items into particular shot positions based on a comparison of content index values associated with the selected eligible content items to a position index value assigned to the particular shot positions;
• determine shot scores based on aggregate scores of eligible content items placed in shot positions associated with each individual shot;
• generate a shot-score comparison;
• and
• generate a broadcast schedule based on the shot-score comparison.

A non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions configured to be stored in a memory and executed by a processor, the program of instructions configured to implement the a method comprising:

• generating a plurality of shots representing potential playlists of media items, wherein:
• each of the plurality of shots includes a plurality of shot positions into which potential content items are placed;
• the plurality of shot positions are individually assigned position index values, wherein position index values assigned to positions in a particular shot form a unique sequences of index values;
• identifying eligible content items for insertion into a first shot position;
• scoring the eligible content items relative to each other;
• associating a content index values to the eligible content items;
• placing selected eligible content items into particular shot positions based on a comparison of content index values associated with the selected eligible content items to a position index value assigned to the particular shot positions;
• determining shot scores based on aggregate scores of eligible content items placed in shot positions associated with each individual shot;
• generating a shot-score comparison;
• and
• generating a broadcast schedule based on the shot-score comparison.