"Program Changes FAQ"

 

Q: In a word, why?

A: Over the years, station needs have changed when it comes to program lengths and availability of news products. Syndicated programs can be unforgiving format-wise and so standardizing program lengths makes it easier to schedule these products. Also, with the ability to time shift feed times in your XDS receiver, you as a programmer have much more flexibility to run some alternatives that you might not have been able to run years ago. These include a 1 minute state newscasts and a national NBC one minute cast.

Q: Will I have to make any technical changes?

A: In some cases yes. Some net cues (used for automation relays) will need to change and some new programming pids will need to be scheduled live or time shifted in your XDS receiver. Also some FTP login credentials have changed. See the Programming Changes page for technical information.

Q: What's with the branded/un-branded casts?

A: Since 1978 FNN has prided itself in providing the best quality state news products to its affiliates. But we have also strived to allow our stations to take ownership of the products and make them sound like their own. But some stations like having (and promote having) the FNN brand on their stations.

So in our new configuration we are offering an option, via FTP/Ondemand website, to download a complete newscast sans the FNN brand. The casts are :10 shorter than the branded ones (truth be known: we fill the :10 with our own VO and sounder when feeding via satellite) so you can use locally produced intros and/or tags to make it sound like you produced the cast and not us.

But if you would still rather have the FNN brand, that will be available as well on both the satellite feeds and FTP/website downloads. See the Programming Changes page for technical information.

Q: I don't know how to program my XDS receiver and the guy who does only shows up once per month! What do I do?

A: The good news is, if you're carrying the bottom of the hour 4 minute news package or the sports or business news packages, and you already have those programmed into your receiver, you don't need to change anything - just know that the length of the feed will be diifferent. Net cues for the full state newscast (top, repeated at the bottom), sportscasts, and business news will NOT change. We will be ADDING net cues for the new 1 minute state cast, the one minute NBC cast, and special reports.

Q: I have more questions. Who can I talk to?

A: Feel free to call Jim Poling to discuss your programming setup any time during normal business hours at (888)407-4376, option 2 or via email at help@fnnonline.net.