function startTicker()
{
    // Define run time values
    
    theCurrentStory     = -1;
    theCurrentLength    = 0;
    
    // Locate base objects
    
    if (document.getElementById) 
    {	
        theImageObject      = document.getElementById("imageAnchor");
        theTickerObject     = document.getElementById("tickerAnchor");
        theTextObject       = document.getElementById("textAnchor");
                
        runTheTicker();   	
    }
    else 
    {
        document.write("<style>.ticki{display:none;}.ticko{border:0px; padding:0px;}</style>");
        return true;
    }
}
        
// Ticker main run loop

function runTheTicker()
{
    if (theTickerStatus == "started") 
    {  
        var myTimeout;  
    
        // Go for the next story data block
            	
        if(theCurrentLength == 0)
        {
            theCurrentStory++;
            theCurrentStory      = theCurrentStory % theItemCount;
            theStorySummary      = theSummaries[theCurrentStory].replace(/&quot;/g,'"');		
            theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
            theTextObject.href   = theTargetLink;
            thePrefix 	         = '<span style="font-weight: bold;">' + theLeadString + "</span>";
        } 
                
        // Stuff the current ticker text into the anchor
    
        theTextObject.innerHTML = thePrefix + 
        theStorySummary.substring(0,theCurrentLength) + whatWidget();
                
        // Modify the length for the substring and define the timer
    
        if(theCurrentLength != theStorySummary.length)
        {
    	    theCurrentLength++;
    	    myTimeout = theCharacterTimeout;
        }
        else
        {
    	    theCurrentLength = 0;
    	    myTimeout = theStoryTimeout;
        }
                
        // Call up the next cycle of the ticker
    
        setTimeout("runTheTicker()", myTimeout);
    }
}
        
// Widget generator

function whatWidget()
{
    if(theCurrentLength == theStorySummary.length)
    {
        return theWidgetNone;
    }
        
    if((theCurrentLength % 2) == 1)
    {
        return theWidgetOne;
    }
    else
    {
    	return theWidgetTwo;
    }
}
        
// ticker anhalten

function stopTheTicker() 
{
    theTickerStatus = "stopped";
        
    theImageObject.innerHTML =   '<a href="#" onclick="restartTheTicker()" title="startet den Ticker" accesskey="x" onfocus="restartTheTicker()" onkeypress="restartTheTicker()">' 
                               + '<img src="/static/img/tool23_icons/tick_icon_trans.gif" class="play" alt="Ticker starten" />&nbsp;</a>';
                                            
    theTextObject.innerHTML  =  thePrefix + theStorySummary;
}
        
// ticker wieder anwerfen

function restartTheTicker() 
{
    theTickerStatus = "started";
        
    theImageObject.innerHTML =   '<a href="#" onclick="stopTheTicker()" title="h&auml;lt den Ticker an" accesskey="x" onfocus="stopTheTicker()" onkeypress="stopTheTicker()">' 
                               + '<img src="/static/img/tool23_icons/tick_icon_trans.gif" class="pause" alt="Ticker anhalten" />&nbsp;</a>';
    runTheTicker();
}