VDS Releases SerialTone

A leading developer of broadcast automation software, content design and plug-in products, VDS, has announced that it has released SerialTone, a software application for sychronising television and radio commercial breaks.
SerialTone for Harris automation includes VDS Sentinel, a real time interface to the Harris ADC station automation.
Sentinel receives information and status from the ADC and allows SerialTone to see the full extent of the automation playlist, including the start times and durations for all scheduled commercial breaks.
SerialTone then sends a trigger for the start of the break along with the break duration to a compatible DTMF tone generator ensuring synced television/radio commercial breaks.
Through Sentinel, this proprietary VDS interface, SerialTone is continuously in sync with the events playing under the control of the automation system, including events with changed durations or start times.
As SerialTone can be used for triggering devices other than the DTMF tone generators, multiple parallel channels of ad revenue can be synchronised. In addition, SerialTone can be applied for SD/HD simulcasts that use different commercials spots.
SerialTone is also available for facilities with the OmniBus Colossus automation system.
Larry Mincer, President of VDS, said: "SerialTone has become a very valuable tool for broadcasters and cable companies who provide broadcast content to radio partners such as XM/Sirius.
"With commercial breaks for each partner occurring at the same time, advertising sales revenue can be independently maintained without conflicts."
(KMcA/BMcC)