Meridix Webcast Network
The Meridix Webcast Network is a webcast network which allows schools, sports teams, universities, and other organizations to webcast their own events through live streaming audio and video, real time game scores and data, text message or email alerts, and mobile content tools. In 2007, the network was nominated for the Chicago Innovation Awards.[1]
The webcast system is used in many states, including Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Washington, Arizona, California, and other states to webcast live events such as high school football games, state championship games, and other sporting events, as well as Kansas Jayhawks hockey,[2] school events,[3] radio simulcasting by AM/FM stations (such as KMA (AM) 960 and KKBZ 99.3 FM), and talk shows. The system has international users, including several teams of the National Superior Basketball (BSNPR).
Each entity in the network, whether it be a school, a sports team, a radio station, or any other type of organization, is assigned an identity called a LiveID. The LiveID serves as both the "username" for the broadcaster organization, as well as a handle that listeners and fans can use to find the organization's live webcasts and archives.
A MeridixID, on the other hand, is a free identity which allows fans, parents, players, coaches, and other individuals to access various Meridix tools with a single identity. Using a MeridixID, an individual could act in different capacities for different organizations, such as customizing their text message preferences between various teams, submitting scores, or posting a profile.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Live Game Audio and Video | Allows parents, family, friends, and other fans to perceive live games through a “gamecast” window which automatically streams live audio and video. |
| Real Time Scores | Live, automatically updated information, such as score, time, period, outs, balls, strikes, outs, first downs, possessions, etc. |
| Text Message (SMS) Alerts | Fans can select to receive text message/email alerts regarding scores and results. Coaches could send out practice and scheduling changes to players and parents. Athletic directors can send out important notices relevant to the entire school. |
| Email Alerts | Alerts via email, in much the same fashion as text messages above. |
| Collaborative Scheduling | Collaborative scheduling allows two schools involved in the same event to “share” the event, instead of having to maintain two completely separate (and possibly conflicting if out of date) schedule listings. |
| Meridix EventReporter | EventReporter increases the accuracy and frequency of reported results by notifying coaches whenever they have an event to report, and allowing them to submit results directly inside of the notification. |
| Announcements | Highlight the most important schedule changes, events, or other announcements in varying degrees of priority from urgent to low, and provide additional details. |
| Venues | Provide photos, seating capacity, address, driving directions, accommodations, descriptions, and other information about stadiums. |
| News and RSS | Publish the latest news content. Each time a story is published, customized RSS feed is automatically updated. |
| Advertising | Using optional advertising tools, LiveIDs can usually broadcast for free, or even profit from their operations, by providing local businesses with ad space. Advertising campaigns can be managed from one utility. |
| Portals | Comprehensive portals for a specific area are created, which provide fans with an at-a-glance view of the latest event information from around a league, conference, or state association. |
| Meridix.net | Mobile portal for fan/parent access to scores, news, announcements, available through any mobile phone. |
| Photo Management | Manage event and game photos with descriptions, captions, and other tools. Photos can even be uploaded during a live event webcast. |
Meridix Platform
Other websites have also begun incorporating Meridix Webcast Network tools into their own infrastructure. These include MNSportsNetwork.com,[4] BSports.org, DaBigGuy.com, and others. The Meridix Webcast Networks's features were also shown in a 2007 television story [5] done on the MSBN by KARE 11 in Minneapolis.
