Manipulation of sequences to identify stations playing syndicated content

A syndicated content recognition system comprising:

• a hardware processor;
• a memory coupled to the hardware processor, the memory storing computer-executable instructions;
• and wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the syndicated content recognition system to:
• identify a plurality of main sequences of media items played by a plurality of different media stations, wherein each of the plurality of main sequences includes one or more content items, and wherein each of the plurality of main sequences is to be considered as potentially including syndicated content, wherein the syndicated content being content played by multiple of the plurality of different media stations;
• remove at least one main sequence of the plurality of main sequences to generate a plurality of remaining main sequences, wherein the at least one main sequence is removed based, at least in part, on a number of content items included in the at least one main sequence;
• generate a plurality of consolidated main sequences by merging multiple of the plurality of remaining main sequences satisfying a consolidation criterion, wherein each of the plurality of consolidated main sequence includes two or more of the plurality of remaining main sequences;
• and
• compare the plurality of consolidated main sequences to determine whether the syndicated content was played on a particular media station of the plurality of different media stations;
• and
• generate and output a report identifying the syndicated content and the particular media station.

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 including:

• at least one instruction configured to identify a plurality of main sequences of media items played by a plurality of different media stations, wherein each of the plurality of main sequences includes one or more content items, and wherein each of the plurality of main sequences is to be considered as potentially including syndicated content, wherein the syndicated content being content played by multiple of the plurality of different media stations;
• at least one instruction configured to remove at least one main sequence of the plurality of main sequences to generate a plurality of remaining main sequences, wherein the at least one main sequence is removed based, at least in part, on a number of content items included in the at least one main sequence;
• at least one instruction configured to generate a plurality of consolidated main sequences by merging multiple of the plurality of remaining main sequences satisfying a consolidation criterion, wherein each of the plurality of consolidated main sequence includes two or more of the plurality of remaining main sequences;
• at least one instruction configured to compare the plurality of consolidated main sequences to determine whether the syndicated content was played on a particular media station of the plurality of different media stations;
• and
• at least one instruction configured to generate and output a report identifying the syndicated content and the particular media station.