METHODS FOR MANAGING AT LEAST ONE BROADCAST/MULTICAST SERVICE BEARER

A central resource manager is communicatively coupled to a broadcast/multicast service (BMS) capable system. The BMS capable system has a radio access network that includes at least one BMS service area and a total number of BMS bearers for transporting media streams. Each BMS service area has associated therewith a portion of the total number of BMS bearers. The central resource manager allocates, to a first local call controller of a plurality of local call controllers, a first portion of the total number of BMS bearers to be managed locally by the first local call controller, and identifies the first portion of the total number of BMS bearer to the first local call controller. The central resource manager also manages a second portion of the total number of BMS bearers for a subsequent allocation to at least one local call controller of the plurality of local call controllers.