TV Scheduling

TV scheduling consists of what channel, what time of the day and what day of the week a programme is broadcasted.

TV scheduling is particularly important for new programmes as this is used to increase the audience of the programme.

Scheduling is split up into 3 key concepts, inheritance, pre-echo and hammocking.

Inheritance Inheritance is scheduling a programme after a popular

programme so it inherits some of its audience. E.g. the first episode of a new series called ‘This Time Next Year’

has been placed after Coronation Street.

Pre-Echo Pre-echo is scheduling a programme before a popular

programme, this is when the audience tune in early for the popular programme so they catch the end to tweak the audiences interest.

E.g. new game show ‘Meet the Parents’ placed before the X Factor on Saturday Night.

Hammocking

Hammocking is scheduling a programme in between 2 popular programmes so it benefits from both inheritance and pre-echo.

E.g. airing the first episode of ‘Extreme Wales with Richard Parks’ after Match of the Day and before University Challenge.