radio stations and commercials?

Question

I was just wondering today about the commercials on the radio stations. So I'd appriciate some opinions from ordinary people and from those who work in the radio broadcasting industry. I was driving today, and listening to my favourite radio station. Then the commercials started, so I turned to another radio station, there were commercials too, I turned to another one, and more commercials, I turned to some pop music station that I don't even listen to, and guess what, more commercials!!!! So my question is, do all radio stations in the country have a set time that they all turn to commercials and bore us to death with them!? That can't be just a coincidence that all the radio stations of my radio have commercials at the same time!!!! At the same time they all claim to have more commercial free music than any other radio station. If so why do they have as many as the other ones!??

What do you guys think about all this. Is this a conspiracy or something?!

Answer 1

dude this is real i dont listen to am/fm radio i have sirius 100% commerical free music channels but on one of the howard stern channels a guy named bubba the love sponge was talking to a radio guy about that and he said all stations in their own markets break at the same time so they dont loose the listener you so thats going to happen so get sirius dude its the best thing ever you'll wont go back to free radio

Answer 2

Most of the big cities have a set time frame for airing commercials as Meli discussed... Most programs and stations have a set list and a time clock if you will to air commericals and this timing is set from my understanding to help the way the ratings are done in major markets.

Hince your probably in a big city right before the hour or at half hour (actually about :25 and :55) and that's why you heard everyone running commercials.

Small town stations don't have to follow this and air commercials when they want to.

Big time radio operator Clear Channel has been trying advertising differently including a ad every few songs, airing 15 sec commercials (normal is 30-60 sec , I think the term is a teaser commercial), or some markets are going to a hour long sponser now (such as lonestar 92.5 in Dallas)

Answer 3

I would hardly say it's a conspiracy. When poeple buy commercials, they have the option to buy at a popular time and or while a particular DJ is on the air. They are called peek times. Commercials are likely to air 10 minutes into a program ,and by FCC accordance, you MUST identify your radio station by name and call numbers at least once per hour and just about every station chooses to do so at the top of the hour followed by a series of commercials. So that's more than likely what happened, you were hearing all the promos at the top of the hour.
Hope I made sense, I'm a radio/tv major.

Answer 4

hey mate, i own a radio station in new zealand. GFM107 one of the few privately owned ones now operating here, (www.gisborneonline.co.nz) from my view most of it is basicly to do with station programming, you have certin times when ads have a higher listenership, ie before and after the news (usually on the hour1pm,2pm etc), once they have played you want to fit as many songs between the next ads as you can.

but if you have, say, 3 ad blocks to play in an hour, obviously the ads, will end up about the same amount of songs apart so that they are spread evenly and not just boring the listner with non stop ads. due to the fact that most station base there format on an hour to hour (news to news) setting, most station will play ads at pretty much the same time...so basicly i think its well planned coincidence lol hope that helps in some way....

Answer 5

Yes, probably. The radio stations in your area most likely plan their commercial breaks at coordinated times so that people won't switch to a different station. This way, both stations will be able to keep their listeners. :)

Answer 6

at the radio station where i work we have to air the ads at fifteen min past the hour . they run four mins of ads at that time , an no more for that hour.