TV SCHEDULING

Schedule

The pattern in which media programmes are arranged and presented to the audience.

TV schedules are categorised into different segments.

◦Breakfast

◦Daytime

◦Children’s

◦Peak/Prime time

◦After 9/post watershed

Popular Genres of TV

◦Drama

◦Soap

◦Reality

◦News

◦Documentaries

◦Sitcoms

Target Audiences◦BBC ONE – Everyone

◦BBC 2 – Specific audience

◦ITV 1 – Everyone

◦Channel 4 – Teenagers/young adults

◦Channel 5 – Everyone

◦Reapeats from BBC2 & Channel 4/5 = 50%

BBC1 & ITV1 = 2/3%

The Watershed

◦The time in which 9 o’clock can air television with inappropriate themes or language. Although this is becoming close to 10 o’clock.

Hammocking

◦The strategic placement of a programme between two other programmes; positioning a new series between two well-established shows that appeal to the same target audience often gives the right viewers an opportunity to sample the new series.

Pre-Echo

◦Programme placed on schedule to come before a popular programme.

Inheritance

◦Programme placed after a successful programme in the hopes of inheriting some of it’s audience.

Audience Fragmentation

◦This results more variety in channels. Channel loyalty is no longer.