Digital audio system for radio stations

Abstract

A digital radio broadcast station which includes a common digital database having stored therein a plurality of at least several hundred (preferably at least 1800) different selections of music to be played and broadcast by the radio station. A processor system is provided for programming the operation of the digital radio broadcast station with a sequence of music selections, which are subsequently retrieved in order from the common digital database and played over the digital radio broadcast station. The processor system preferably includes a main computer system for operating the radio station, and also a backup computer system for operating the radio station in the event of a failure of the main computer system. The processor system is preferably based upon reduced instruction set computing architecture, and preferably comprises an IBM RS/6000 system with an AIX operating system. The common digital database comprises a disk array storage, preferably a dual port RAID disk array. The digital radio broadcast station also includes a plurality of work station consoles for use by personnel responsible for operating the radio station such as disc jockeys and engineers. A bridge network such as a modem is also provided for connecting the radio station to a further digital database for music selections not stored in the common digital database. The processor system is provided with a connection to a telephone network, such that radio station callers can communicate with the radio station by a touch tone telephone, and is also provided with a connection to an interactive cable television network, such that cable television viewers can communicate with the radio station over the interactive cable television network.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station comprising: 
 a. digitally storing in a common digital database, of a computer system, a plurality of at least several hundred different selections of music which is to be played and broadcast by the radio station;    b. programming the computer system with a sequence of music selections to be played by the radio station; and    c. retrieving from the common digital database and broadcasting over the radio station the programmed sequence of music selections.    
     
     
         2 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising providing a main computer system for operating the radio station, and also providing a backup computer system for operating the radio station in the event of a failure of the main computer system.  
     
     
         3 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 2 , further including providing a plurality of work station consoles for use by personnel responsible for operating the radio station.  
     
     
         4 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said step of digitally storing includes the step of digitally storing the plurality of at least several hundred different selections of music in a disk array.  
     
     
         5 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the step of digitally storing includes storing the selections of music in a dual port RAID disk array.  
     
     
         6 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising providing a bridged network for connecting the radio station to a further digital database for music selections not stored in the common digital database.  
     
     
         7 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising providing a connection from the computer system to a telephone network, and wherein radio station callers communicate with the radio station by a touch tone telephone.  
     
     
         8 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising providing a connection from the computer system to an interactive cable television network, and wherein cable television viewers communicate with the radio station over the interactive cable television network.  
     
     
         9 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 1 , further including providing a plurality of work station consoles for use by personnel responsible for operating the radio station.  
     
     
         10 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said step of digitally storing includes the step of digitally storing the plurality of at least several hundred different selections of music in a disk array.  
     
     
         11 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the step of digitally storing includes storing the selections of music in a dual port RAID disk array.  
     
     
         12 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising providing a bridged network for connecting the radio station to a further digital database for music selections not stored in the common digital database.  
     
     
         13 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising providing a connection from the computer system to a telephone network, and wherein radio station callers communicate with the radio station by a touch tone telephone.  
     
     
         14 . A method for operating a digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising providing a connection from the computer system to an interactive cable television network, and wherein cable television viewers communicate with the radio station over the interactive cable television network.  
     
     
         15 . A digital radio broadcast station comprising: 
 a. a common digital database having stored therein a plurality of at least several hundred different selections of music to be played and broadcast by the digital radio broadcast station; and    b. a processor system for programming the digital radio broadcast station with a sequence of music selections to be retrieved from the common digital database and played over the digital radio broadcast station.    
     
     
         16 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the processor system includes a main computer system for operating the radio station, and also a backup computer system for operating the radio station in the event of a failure of the main computer system.  
     
     
         17 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of work station consoles for use by personnel responsible for operating the radio station.  
     
     
         18 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said common digital database comprises a disk array storage.  
     
     
         19 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said disk array storage comprises a dual port RAID disk array.  
     
     
         20 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising a bridged network for connecting the radio station to a further digital database for music selections not stored in the common digital database.  
     
     
         21 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 20 , further comprising a connection from the processor system to a telephone network, and wherein radio station callers communicate with the radio station by a touch tone telephone.  
     
     
         22 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 21 , further comprising a connection from the processor system to an interactive cable television network, and wherein cable television viewers communicate with the radio station over the interactive cable television network.  
     
     
         23 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the processor system includes first and second disk drive controllers.  
     
     
         24 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the processor system comprises an IBM RS/6000 system based upon reduced instruction set computing architecture, and includes an AIX operating system.  
     
     
         25 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of work station consoles for use by personnel responsible for operating the radio station.  
     
     
         26 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said common digital database comprises a disk array storage.  
     
     
         27 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein said disk array storage comprises a dual port RAID disk array.  
     
     
         28 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a bridged network for connecting the radio station to a further digital database for music selections not stored in the common digital database.  
     
     
         29 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a connection from the processor system to a telephone network, and wherein radio station callers communicate with the radio station by a touch tone telephone.  
     
     
         30 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a connection from the processor system to an interactive cable television network, and wherein cable television viewers communicate with the radio station over the interactive cable television network.  
     
     
         31 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the processor system includes first and second disk drive controllers.  
     
     
         32 . A digital radio broadcast station as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the processor system comprises an IBM RS/6000 system based upon reduced instruction set computing architecture, and includes an AIX operating system.  
     
     
         33 . A method for operating an audio on demand network comprising: 
 a. digitally storing in a common digital database, of a computer system, a plurality of at least several hundred different selections of music;    b. providing a communications network to users, wherein a user communicates with the computer system over the communications network to indicate a choice of one or more music selections; and    c. retrieving from the common digital database and transmitting over the communications network to the user the choice of one or more music selections.    
     
     
         34 . A method for operating an audio on demand network as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein said step of providing a communications network comprises providing a connection from the computer system to a telephone network, and wherein a user communicates with the computer system by a touch tone telephone to indicate a choice of one or more music selections, and the one or more music selections are transmitted over the telephone network to the caller.  
     
     
         35 . A method for operating an audio on demand network as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein said step of providing a communications network comprises providing a connection from the computer system to an interactive cable television network, and wherein a user communicates with the computer system over the interactive cable television network to indicate a choice of one or more music selections, and the one or more music selections are transmitted over the interactive cable television network to the user.