System and method for simultaneously broadcasting multiple media-components

1. A method comprising:

a master-control automation-system (AS) selecting a log entry from a television-broadcast traffic-log, the log entry including (i) a first identifier that maps to a first video-component (VC) and (ii) a second identifier that maps to a second VC;

responsive to the AS selecting the log entry, a recording-and-playout device (RAPD) retrieving the first VC;

the RAPD sending the retrieved first-VC to an encoder via a switching network;

the encoder generating a first transport-stream (TS) having (i) program-identification (PID) data, and (ii) payload data including the sent first-VC;

the encoder sending the generated first-TS to a first outbound-broadcast device (OBD) for television-broadcast;

the encoder sending the generated first-TS to a transport-stream splicer;

responsive to the AS selecting the log entry, the AS loading the splicer with the second VC using a file-transfer protocol (FTP);

the splicer generating a second TS having (i) the PID data of the generated first-TS, and (ii) payload data including the loaded second-VC; and

the splicer sending the generated second-TS to a second OBD for television-broadcast, simultaneously while the encoder sends the generated first-TS to the first OBD; and

wherein the AS loading the splicer with the second VC occurs before the RAPD retrieves the first VC.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first identifier is included in a house-number field of the selected log-entry, and the second identifier is included in an auxiliary-value field of the selected log-entry.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first VC is different from the second VC, and the first OBD is different from the second OBD.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying the second OBD based on the second identifier, wherein sending the generated second-TS to the second OBD for television-broadcast comprises sending the generated second-TS to the identified second-OBD for television-broadcast.

5. A method comprising:

selecting a log entry from a television-broadcast traffic-log, the log entry including (i) a first identifier that maps to a first video-component (VC) and (ii) a second identifier that maps to a second VC;

in response to selecting the loci entry, retrieving the first VC;

sending the retrieved first VC to an encoder via a switching network;

generating, at the encoder, a first transport-stream (TS) having (i) program-identification (PID) data, and (ii) payload data including the first VC;

sending the generated first-TS to a first outbound-broadcast device (OBD) for television-broadcast;

the encoder sending the generated first TS to a transport stream splicer;

in response to selecting the loci entry, loading a splicer with the second VC using a file transfer protocol (FTP);

generating, at the splicer, a second TS having (i) the PID data of the generated first-TS, and (ii) payload data including the second VC; and

sending the generated second-TS to a second OBD for television-broadcast, simultaneously while sending the generated first-TS to the first OBD; and

wherein the loading the splicer with the second VC occurs before the retrieving the first VC.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first identifier is included in a house-number field of the selected log-entry, and the second identifier is included in an auxiliary-value field of the selected log-entry.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first VC is different from the second VC, and the first OBD is different from the second OBD.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

identifying the second OBD based on the second identifier, wherein sending the generated second-TS to the second OBD for television-broadcast comprises sending the generated second-TS to the identified second-OBD for television-broadcast.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first identifier is included in a house-number field of the selected log-entry, and the second identifier is included in an auxiliary-value field of the selected log-entry, and wherein identifying the second OBD based on the second identifier comprises identifying the second OBD based on a prefix of the second identifier.

10. A television-broadcasting system comprising:

a recording-and-playout device (RAPD);

a switching network;

an encoder, wherein the RAPD is connected to the encoder via the switching network;

a first outbound-broadcast device (OBD) connected to the encoder;

a transport-stream splicer connected to the encoder;

a second OBD connected to the splicer;

a master-control automation-system (AS) connected to the RAPD, the switching network, and the splicer, wherein the AS is configured to (i) select a log entry from a television-broadcast traffic-log, the log entry including (a) a first identifier that maps to a first video-component (VC) and (b) a second identifier that maps to a second VC, and (ii) responsive to selecting the log entry, cause (a) the RAPD to retrieve the first VC, and (b) load the splicer with the second VC using a file-transfer protocol (FTP);

wherein the RAPD is configured to send the retrieved first-VC to the encoder;

wherein the encoder is configured to (i) generate a first transport-stream (TS) having (a) program-identification (PID) data, and (b) payload data including the sent first-VC, (ii) send the generated first-TS to the first OBD for television-broadcast, and (iii) send the generated first-TS to the splicer; and

wherein the splicer is configured to (i) generate a second TS having (a) the PID data of the generated first-TS, and (b) payload data including the loaded second-VC;

and (ii) send the generated second-TS to the second OBD for television-broadcast, simultaneously while the encoder sends the generated first-TS to the first OBD; and

wherein the AS is configured to load the splicer with the second VC before causing the RAPD to retrieve the first VC.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second identifier is included in an auxiliary-value field of the selected log-entry.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first identifier is included in a house-number field of the selected log-entry.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first VC is different from the second VC, and the first OBD is different from the second OBD.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the AS is further configured to (i) identify the second OBD based on the second identifier, and (ii) send the generated second-TS to the identified second OBD for television-broadcast.

15. A method comprising:

a master-control automation-system (AS) selecting a log entry from a traffic-log, the log entry including (i) a first identifier that maps to a first video-component (VC) and (ii) a second identifier that maps to a second VC;

responsive to the AS selecting the log entry, a recording-and-playout device (RAPD) retrieving the first VC;

the RAPD sending the retrieved first-VC to an encoder via a switching network;

the encoder generating a first transport-stream (TS) having (i) program-identification (PID) data, and (ii) payload data including the sent first-VC;

the encoder sending the generated first-TS to a first outbound-broadcast device (OBD) for broadcast;

the encoder sending the generated first-TS to a transport-stream splicer;

responsive to the AS selecting the log entry, the AS loading the splicer with the second VC using a file-transfer protocol (FTP);

the splicer generating a second TS having (i) the PID data of the generated first-TS, and (ii) payload data including the loaded second-VC;

the splicer sending the generated second-TS to a second OBD for broadcast, simultaneously while the encoder sends the generated first-TS to the first OBD; and

wherein the AS loading the splicer with the second VC occurs before the RAPD retrieving the first VC.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first OBD comprises an Internet feed.