With SAP for Media, broadcasters can plan and audit the entire program life cycle in a series of steps that can also be closely integrated with channel management, content acquisition, and production processes. SAP solutions support a range of program management processes, including:

• Program information management – SAP for Media gives users a single point of entry to all contracts, usage data, budgets and payments, costs, and inventory during a program's life cycle, as well as to the program descriptions and production documents.
• Program procurement planning – SAP solutions support two different strategies for program procurement planning: program acquisitions approved and contracted before assignment of a broadcast time slot and those acquired for a concrete publication time slot and budget. The approval gateways and acquisition processes are controlled effectively by means of workflow processes.
• Program cost planning – With SAP for Media, you can carry out cost estimates for a broadcast item, using methods according to the planning phase in question, from rough manual estimates to detailed estimates based on rates for internal activities, conditions from contracts with service providers, material costs, and proportional surcharges.
• Rights status check – A rights availability query provides information on the rights situation for the selected content – specifically, whether the rights required are available for the planned usage and whether legal costs must be taken into account.
• Program stock evaluation and depreciation – Based on confirmation from transmission, SAP solutions amortize the program inventory.

Program management is enabled with SAP applications such as SAP ERP and SAP Intellectual Property Management. To find out how these applications can improve your program management, complete the "Contact SAP" form and request information about enterprise resource planning or industry applications.