A news section is created from one or more sources, which you can select from the dropdown menu in the settings. Each article from these sources will be transformed into a news story that a newscaster can read aloud, following the preferences set in the attached content model.

You have the option to specify how many stories you want to include in this section. Additionally, you can arrange the stories either by "publication date" or "randomly."

When ordered by publication date, the stories are selected from the sources in a chronological order, regardless of the source itself. This means that it could potentially use only one source if the most recently published articles are all from that source.
On the other hand, when ordered randomly, the system chooses stories without considering their source. Consequently, it's possible that all the stories come from the same source.

If you wish to utilize multiple sources and want more control over which source is used, it is recommended to add multiple "News sections," set the "stories count" to 1, select only one source, and order the stories by publication date. This way, each section will fetch the latest story from its designated source.

Learn more about news sources here

Newscaster editor

Each newscaster includes a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, allowing you to create your newscast's format precisely as you desire. This means you can fully customize your newscaster. Each "setting" in the editor is a draggable "section" that can be moved to a different position, deleted, or added.

To add a new section, simply click on the plus icon where you want to insert it.

Choose a Template

When creating a newscaster, you have the option to select a template as a starting point. These templates offer examples of how your format might appear. After creating the newscaster, you can freely edit every section in the editor.

Occasionally, new templates are added to this selection. You also have the option to choose the "empty" template, essentially beginning with a blank canvas.

After selecting a template, you'll be directed to a wizard where you'll need to specify the sources you want to use for "News," "Weather," or "Traffic" sections if you have chosen them.

If no sources have been created yet, you'll be prompted to create a source right away.

Custom Text

The custom text block is designed for adding text that remains consistent across all newscasts. Currently, there are three variables available for use within the text block that are dynamically filled. It's important to enclose these variables in brackets in your custom text.

Variables

• hour - This dynamically fills the current hour based on the timezone set in your team settings.
• nextHour - Because most newscasts are generated a few minutes before the full hour, this variable uses the next full hour. For instance, at 7:55 AM, it will display "8".
• greeting - This fills in "Good morning," "Good afternoon," "Good evening," or "Good night" according to the timezone set in your team settings. Currently, this feature only works when using the English language.

Example:

This is your {hour} hour update

This will output at 7 o'clock:

This is your 7 hour update

Imaging

Currently, you can use fillers, also referred to as "beds." These fillers may or may not start with a jingle. When you add a filler, it will play in the background until it ends or until the next filler is added in the editor. Subsequently, the next filler will play in the background.

You have the choice of three built-in fillers or the option to use your own.

How to Use Your Own Fillers

To use your own fillers in a newscast, upload them in the "Imaging" section. Go to Imaging, click "+ Add Imaging," and upload your file.

After uploading, you can set the "start talk cue" and "volume at start talk."

• Start Talk Cue - This option determines when the talk starts. You can adjust this by clicking the "Start talk cue" button while playing the audio.
• Volume at Start Talk - This controls the volume percentage when the talk begins. Choose 0 or 100% to keep the volume unchanged and play the imaging as it is.

Sources

Three sections are based on sources and are the actually parts where news stories are pulled in. So they create the real content of your newscasts.

Currenlty you can select

• News
• Weather
• Traffic

News

A news section is created from one or more sources, which you can select from the dropdown menu in the settings. Each article from these sources will be transformed into a news story that a newscaster can read aloud, following the preferences set in the attached content model.

You have the option to specify how many stories you want to include in this section. Additionally, you can arrange the stories either by "publication date" or "randomly."

When ordered by publication date, the stories are selected from the sources in a chronological order, regardless of the source itself. This means that it could potentially use only one source if the most recently published articles are all from that source.

On the other hand, when ordered randomly, the system chooses stories without considering their source. Consequently, it's possible that all the stories come from the same source.

If you wish to utilize multiple sources and want more control over which source is used, it is recommended to add multiple "News sections," set the "stories count" to 1, select only one source, and order the stories by publication date. This way, each section will fetch the latest story from its designated source.

Learn more about news sources here

Weather

To incorporate a weather forecast into the newscaster, choose "Weather" from the dropdown menu by clicking the plus icon. You will then be prompted to either select an existing weather source or create a new one.

For additional details on weather sources, click here.

Traffic

To include traffic information in the newscaster, pick "Traffic" from the dropdown menu after clicking the plus icon. You will receive a prompt to either select an existing weather source or create a new one.

For additional details on traffic sources, click here.

Preview

To preview a newscast from a newscaster, you have two options: manually generate a newscast or generate a preview. When you generate an actual newscast manually, please be aware that this will become the new "latest newscast." It may also be uploaded to your connected Dropbox or FTP server, depending on your settings.

It is recommended to use the "preview" button to see how the newscast would look and sound when generated. To apply your latest changes in the preview, you must first save the newscaster. Afterward, the "Generate preview" button will become available.

When you click the "Generate preview" button, the preview is generated in text form, allowing you to see how the scripts appear. The audio needs to be generated separately by clicking "Generate audio." This way, you will not be charged for generating only the text of the newscast. Billing only occurs after generating the audio, as it counts as the seconds for which you will be billed.