Your broadcast traffic system plays a critical part of radio advertising placement and revenue for decades. They are the hub for all the tasks and operational workflows that take an ad from an order through payment.
Generally, these platforms share many of the same features. However, some solutions have evolved beyond the standard. These capabilities may even be unknown to seasoned traffic managers. Systems that have these valuable functions can improve the entire process for a station, driving efficiency and productivity.
So, what features may you be overlooking?
Cloud-Based SaaS Is Actually Rare in Traffic Systems
While most business applications are cloud-based SaaS, they are somewhat rare in the radio traffic environment. The reason is that radio stations traditionally had most of their software on premises because they were a location-based operation.
In 2025, that’s not the case. People may be working from anywhere, and traffic management could be centralized. The cost for on-premises systems, their maintenance and cybersecurity risks have also accelerated migration to the cloud.
In a comparison of the leading providers, a little over half had a cloud-based option. Those without often simply sell software to stations for them to upload onto their servers, and that’s it. There are no updates or patches that come through, so the solution is only as good as the features it had the day it was installed.
Multi-Level Order Approval Process Ensures Accuracy
Some stations need an expanded approval process to align with their traffic structure. It’s a specialized feature, but it provides the necessary workflows to ensure approvals get all the proper checks.
This feature enables approval workflows for many roles, such as credit, copy, sales and traffic. Stations appreciate it for two key reasons. First, it allows for a credit check of an advertiser before the spot airs to avoid collection issues. Second, traffic can review every order to identify things like mis-codings, helping to decrease billing discrepancies.
Fully Integrated Digital Advertising Drives Efficiency and Profitability
Modern radio stations have embraced selling digital advertising to local businesses. They’ve become quite good at it, and it’s accounting for more and more ad revenue. The problems that organizations face in streamlining this and making it profitable are that their technology lives in a silo.
As a result, radio spots and digital ads live on separate islands, making it more time-intensive to create proposals, orders, reporting and invoices.
Some broadcast traffic systems say they have integrations with third-party digital platforms, but they use the term integration too broadly. What they may have is some ability to share data through APIs (application programming interfaces).
The only true integration of traffic and digital is Marketron Traffic and Marketron NXT. Our proprietary platforms sync completely across proposals, orders, reporting and invoicing. These two solutions together create a connected ecosystem that supports efficiency and greater visibility.
Payment Processing Is Often a Third-Party Add-On
Most broadcast systems have invoicing features for both printed and electronic options. Accompanying this are often AR functionality around reconciliation and reporting, but payment processing isn’t part of the platform.
Instead, it’s an add-on with a third-party that could have several challenges. First, you may face limitations, depending on the processor’s capabilities. For example, you may not be able to have features like a customer portal or offer guest checkout.
Second, the traffic provider may charge you to facilitate this “integration.” Third, you may still need to do considerable manual work to ensure payments apply to the correct invoice.
When payment processing lives within the traffic system, you can eliminate these issues. Integrated payment solutions offer customer-facing features for easy payment. They can also automate specific tasks, including reconciliation. A SaaS fee to “add” payment processing is usually not charged.
Proof of Performance Capabilities May Be Limited or Not Available
Proof of performance, or POP, documents that a spot ran as scheduled. It’s something that stations and their advertisers may need as confirmation that the ad aired as agreed; if it’s not proven, then stations may need to issue makegoods or credits.
It would seem familiar, but it’s not available in all traffic systems. Those that do have it may not have full functionality, including POP for past spots (aired and reconciled) or POP for future spots (unaired). Without this function, traffic managers may have to do more manual work.
Does Your Broadcast Traffic System Do What It Should?
It’s easy to stick with the same traffic platform you’ve had for years. It’s comfortable and mostly gets the job done, but what are you missing? More efficiency? More revenue? Less manual work and errors?
Explore options by viewing Which Radio Traffic System Is Right for You?
