diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/ApiController.php b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/ApiController.php
index 65306306a..d75b64b45 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/ApiController.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/controllers/ApiController.php
@@ -395,13 +395,13 @@ class ApiController extends Zend_Controller_Action
         $media_id = $this->_getParam("media_id");
         Logging::debug("Received notification of new media item start: $media_id");
         Application_Model_Schedule::UpdateMediaPlayedStatus($media_id);
-        
-        $historyService = new Application_Service_HistoryService();
-        $historyService->insertPlayedItem($media_id);
 
-        //set a 'last played' timestamp for media item
-        //needed for smart blocks
         try {
+            $historyService = new Application_Service_HistoryService();
+            $historyService->insertPlayedItem($media_id);
+
+            //set a 'last played' timestamp for media item
+            //needed for smart blocks
             $mediaType = Application_Model_Schedule::GetType($media_id);
             if ($mediaType == 'file') {
                 $file_id = Application_Model_Schedule::GetFileId($media_id);
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/services/HistoryService.php b/airtime_mvc/application/services/HistoryService.php
index c8ac571bc..73821ce92 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/services/HistoryService.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/services/HistoryService.php
@@ -560,6 +560,9 @@ class Application_Service_HistoryService
 		try {
 
 			$item = CcScheduleQuery::create()->findPK($schedId, $this->con);
+			if (is_null($item)) {
+			    throw new Exception("Invalid schedule id: ".$schedId);
+			}
 
 			//TODO figure out how to combine these all into 1 query.
 			$showInstance = $item->getCcShowInstances($this->con);