Station FAQ

DACS and SquawkNET

Q: How will we get DACS in the ContentDepot?

A: The ContentDepot portal is the web interface for ContentDepot services. The messages that currently make up DACS are delivered through a combination of email, messages on the station's ContentDepot 'home page,' and web page presentation of status information. Additionally, stations are able to set their ContentDepot profile to forward alerts and email notifications to alternative addresses. For example, impairment notifications (as well as other messages) can be sent to individual email accounts.

Q: My station uses the serial "dribble port" on our SOSS computer to feed DACS messages to our newsroom system. How do I import ContentDepot messages into this system? Is there a serial port for message text on the receivers?

A: There is no serial data output for messages on either the ContentDepot storage receivers or stream decoders. All messaging is either presented to station staff via the ContentDepot Portal or delivered via email to addresses designated by your individual users. Program rundowns are a special type of message that are delivered to your ContentDepot storage receiver for ingest by a traffic or automation system; there is not a standalone rundown reader on the storage receiver.

In some cases, the additional flexibility to read ContentDepot messages on any computer with access to the Internet or your email account will meet your needs without needing ingest into a newsroom system.

If you need messages from the ContentDepot imported into your newsroom system, contact your newsroom system vendor with your needs. Many support an email-based automatic import process where messages display as another "wire service" based on sender or other data. If all you need is program rundowns, your newsroom system vendor should be able to construct an ingest mechanism to copy those files off your storage receiver.

Q: Does SquawkNet move into ContentDepot?

Not for the first year of ContentDepot operation. The ContentDepot will be able to support "Squawk/SquawkNET" in its current form. Please remember that the Squawk channel and SquawkNET are NPR-specific services. Some of the equipment involved will change: instead of getting breaking news program audio from a ComStream demodulator, you will get it from an ContentDepot streaming decoder output that has been subscribed to the Special Events Coverage/Breaking News program in the Portal. During dual operations, the Squawk channel will be available both via an analog demod on frequency B64.9 or via a ComStream ABR700 demod on Transponder 3, frequency 77.0. Either demod can be used to receive Squawk audio and drive your tone decoder. The recommendation is that you take one of your surplus ABR700 demods and use it for the Squawk channel, connecting your existing switching hardware to the audio output of that demod. The channel will function exactly the same as it does now.