Multiple media delivery subsystems are connected via a communications network, and are configured to transfer broadcast content among themselves. A media distribution device communicates with the media delivery subsystems via the communications network. The media delivery subsystems transmit temporal priority messages to the media distribution device. A temporal priority message is used to indicate a temporal priority of a media item from the perspective of the media delivery subsystem associated with the message. The media distribution device manages transfers of broadcast content from one media delivery subsystem to another media delivery subsystem in accordance with the temporal priority messages.